Mary Fay Lapeyrouse Freshley

Mary Fay Lapeyrouse Freshley soared into our fondest, loving memories on Friday, May 22, 2020 after a lengthy illness, in Lafayette, LA.  She lived for 87 beautiful years.  She now rejoices with her heavenly family and joyfully awaits redemption by her Savior.  She passed away after months of intensive, loving care provided by her beloved husband Robert L. “Bob” Freshley, their devoted children and loving grandchildren.  Her heart was fullest when surrounded by these and other family members and friends. We loved her before we knew her and each day we have loved her more.

Our beautiful Mom was born in Jeanerette, LA on November 9, 1932.  She attended Jeanerette schools and graduated from Jeanerette Senior High School (JSHS) as Salutatorian in 1950.  She graduated from Louisiana State University in 1954 with a B.S. in Education majoring in English and minoring in French. She obtained her M.Ed. at Northwestern State University (NSU) in Natchitoches, Louisiana in 1985.

Mom and Pop’s story began at LSU, where they met.  She was very active in her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and was recruited to be the president in her senior year. She politely declined the post as sorority meetings were on the same night as home basketball games.  She loved her sorority sisters, but would not miss Pop’s games!  As their love affair blossomed, and their circle of friends and their families grew in LSU athletics, Mom became an absolute LSU sports fan. She loved anticipating all LSU games, heartily encouraged her favorite players and could quote positions, statistics, batting orders and box scores. If the Fighting Tiger football team needed more mojo, she would go and change into a different LSU sweatshirt or socks. She was thrilled to watch the football Tigers in their perfect season and received a special gift when they BEAT BAMA! on her birthday on their way into history.

She was the consummate teacher and had a servant’s heart.  She began her teaching career at her Alma Mater in Jeanerette, taught briefly in Baton Rouge, and took a professional hiatus to be the best mother to her growing family.   She returned to the classroom at Leesville High School, in Leesville, LA in 1976.  She was joined in early 1977 by Pop where they taught together for the next 16 years.  After receiving her masters, she was also an Adjunct Professor in the English Department at NSU at Ft. Polk. Mom never failed to advocate for her children, grandchildren or any one of the thousands of students she taught so well. She wrote hundreds of recommendation letters for her students for college entrance applications, fraternities, sororities, JROTC scholarships and US military academy applications. All in the days before word processing.  Many is the night we would go into the dining room office to tell her goodnight while she tapped out rec letters.  She mentored new teachers and left a legacy of five educators among her children and grandchildren.

Mom retired from teaching in 1992 and returned to Jeanerette, the city of her heart, to live out her years in the home of her parents whose memories we all cherish.  Their home has been filled with our family’s love since its completion in 1948.  It holds our memories, and they are the linings of our souls.

But she was not content to be sidelined.  She went on to serve 14 years on the Iberia Parish School Board.  During her tenure, 11 new schools were built parish-wide, and she delighted in the common purpose of achievement she tried to deliver to the residents of Iberia Parish.  Her peer Members honored her with electing her President of the Board for a term, and her quiet determination masked an iron-willed passion for service and leadership. Mom continued to teach us right up until she left this world, displaying grace, courage, love, faith in her Lord Jesus, and an unrelenting desire to fight for herself and her own. She was the eye of our hurricane, calm with an iron eyewall within which she protected us.

Prior to her teaching career, she and Bob raised 6 kids while travelling the world during his twenty-two-year career in the US Army. They took their ever-growing family wherever they could around the world, setting up households on four continents. If a soldier and his family are fortunate, orchestrating this opera behind the scenes is a devoted wife and mother, serving as mentor, cook, caregiver, chauffeur, entertainer, and yes, teacher.  Mom made it all look deceptively easy.

In addition to wherever Bob and her family were, Mom’s favorite place was the family camp at Cypremort Point. From their college days to the present this site has seen many, many family celebrations.  Mom memorialized these celebrations by assembling several picture collages that are displayed on the wall at the camp, seeping it in loving welcome for all who visit.

Despite the time she devoted to her family and career, Mom was a voracious reader, and found simple peace in gardening.  She had been a cheerleader at JSHS, enjoyed playing tennis, golf, and many different card games. She particularly loved playing cards and board games at the camp with her friends, children and grandchildren.  She was an accomplished Bridge player and she and Bob relished opportunities to play together.  She also loved supporting her extended family in their all their events, performances and pursuits.

Mary Fay was the daughter of J.P. Lapeyrouse, Sr., and Elma Bergeron Lapeyrouse.  Her parents and her sisters, Jacqueline Lapeyrouse Box and Virginia Lapeyrouse Smith, preceded her in death.  Mom leaves behind her sweet, loving husband of 65 years, LTC (Ret.) Robert L. Freshley, Sr., children, Elizabeth Freshley Childers (Douglas), Katherine Freshley (Thomas), Robert Freshley Jr., Mark Freshley (Susan), Virginia Freshley, and John Freshley; one brother, John P. Lapeyrouse (Camille); and grandchildren, William Childers (Angela), Margaret Freshley, Mary Callie Freshley, Stephen Freshley, Christopher Freshley, Michelle Freshley, Johnathon Ballard, Joseph Ballard, several cousins, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mom was devout in her faith and was a life-long parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Jeanerette, Louisiana.  Wherever she was the world over, Mom always received monthly care packages from her mother, of Luzianne coffee, Jeanerette Enterprises and St. John bulletins.

A Memorial Mass will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Jeanerette, LA on Wednesday, June 3, at 10:30 AM.  Please honor all posted guidance for attendance.  Honorary pallbearers are Douglas Childers, William Childers, Thomas MacMenamin, Stephen Freshley, Christopher Freshley, Johnathon Ballard, and Joseph Ballard. In lieu of flowers, please make donations for Mary Fay, in her honor, for masses at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Jeanerette, Louisiana, the Parish of her birth, marriage, family and forever.

David Funeral Home of Jeanerette, 400 Provost St. Jeanerette, LA 70544, 337-276-5151, is in charge of arrangements.