Carlos Ray Snellgrove

New Iberia - Carlos Ray Snellgrove, 76, passed away on Monday, September 4, 2023, at his home in New Iberia, after a brief illness.  Carlos was born in Franklin to the late John Snellgrove and Goldie Curry Snellgrove on August 5, 1947.  He graduated from Franklin High School in 1965, and went on to attend USL.  A year later he married his high school sweetheart, Judy Marie Guidry.  He then received his degree in physical therapy from UTMB-Galveston in 1969.  After several military assignments with the Army in Texas, Carlos and Judy settled back in Franklin in 1971, where they raised their two sons, Boyd and Chad.  Carlos ran his physical therapy practice in Franklin from 1971-2003, treating thousands of people in the Franklin area.

His biggest passion in his life was sports.  He was a great athlete as a teenager, most evident in basketball.  His young adult years were spent coaching every sport possible.  Having two young sons gave him that opportunity.  Between Little League Baseball, PeeWee Football, and Biddy Basketball, Carlos coached over 500 young boys in the 70’s and early 80’s.  And even if he didn’t coach you, he knew you.  He was a lifelong fan of the LSU Tigers, New Orleans Saints, and the St. Louis Cardinals.  Just because he was a fan, didn’t mean it was easy to watch a game with him.  He could be the harshest critic throughout a game, especially with LSU football and baseball.  He was known to superstitiously change TVs any time something bad happened.  This sometimes resulted in him exhausting all the TVs at his house, showing up on Boyd’s back porch, and sometimes any local restaurant televising the game.  One of the ironic facts in his life was that he was once president of the Franklin Optimist Club.  Nobody would ever mistake him for being an optimist when it came to sports!  Carlos always loved to cook…and was good at it!  He just wasn’t very good at cleaning up after himself, as Judy can attest.  He could make just about anything.  He loved cooking for family gatherings, being the camp chef, cooking for groups in his 20 years at the Bayou Dularge camp, and cooking for the homeless and less fortunate at the First Methodist Church of New Iberia.  He loved to share a drink with people, whether a beer, a glass of wine, or a margarita.  But it was never about the drink.  It was about the friendship and camaraderie.  Not many knew that Carlos had a knack for poetry.  He would write poems for the grandchildren on special occasions, always drawing laughs.  However, it was only after this illness that we discovered his folder of poems written over the years.  This included poems to Judy and other family members, friends, and even politicians!  He always loved sharing quotes and sayings from old Bayou Chene family members, especially his mom.  In fact, upon first hearing of his grim diagnosis, he responded “Like Goldie always said, You can’t get out of this world alive.”  His favorite response to the grandkids whenever there was trouble or a dilemma, was to “Take a nap!”  That would solve everything. 

Throughout his life, Carlos was always the person that people came to for help or advice.  And he never hesitated to do everything he could for them.  Frequently, this was advice with injuries.  But, later in retirement, he’d start helping with any tasks around the house.  He became the lawn guy for half of the Terrell Court residents at some point or another.  Many will remember him riding up and down the street on his lawn mower with a cigar in his mouth.  He became a pool maintenance guy when needed.  He would “attempt” to fix anything broken, usually with glue or duct tape.  When he knew he was in over his head, he would call his cousin Jared!  But, one way or another, it usually was handled.  He was a bonsai waterer whenever Boyd was out of town.  He would complain about it, but I’m pretty sure he was happy to help.  The only thing you would never ask him to do was back up a trailer.  In all of the years owning boats, he never backed one up straight.  In fact, he struggled to back out a driveway with just his vehicle. His favorite job of all was being a grandfather and great-grandfather to Halee, Grace, Mason, Maddox, and Brooks.  From Halee’s birth in 1992 to the time of his current illness, Carlos and Judy would drop anything they were doing to take care of the grandkids and great-grandson, whether in Temple, TX, Port Allen, New Iberia, or Youngsville.  There is no doubt Judy will carry on in that role. 

He will be missed by his family, his Saturday morning breakfast crew at Tubby’s, his Tuesday morning breakfast group in Lafayette, his wonderful neighbors, the Dularge crew, great friends from the Franklin years, Bayou Chene family and friends, his Bi-Lo and Lowe’s people, friends from his annual Final Four Basketball trips and Mississippi golf trips, his church families at First Methodist Church of New Iberia and Franklin United Methodist Church, and just about anyone else who crossed paths with him at some point in his life. 

Carlos is survived by his wife of nearly 57 years, Judy Guidry Snellgrove; his son Boyd and his wife Mary Kay; son Chad and his wife Stacey; granddaughter Halee Snellgrove Maturin, her husband Tyler, and great-grandson Brooks Carlos Maturin; granddaughter Grace; and twin grandsons Mason and Maddox.  He is also survived by siblings Juanita Colletta (the late Francis Colletta), Johnny (Bud) Snellgrove and his wife Norma, and Gary Snellgrove and his wife Betty Jo.  He was preceded in death by his parents John and Goldie Snellgrove, and his oldest sister Evelyn Pontiff (Donnie).

The family would like to thank Dr. Son Nguyen, Dr. Jimmy Falterman, Dr. Hemendra Mhadgut, Dr. Kyle Degeyter, and Dr. Michael Hoss for their excellent medical care.  We would also like to thank Hospice of Acadiana and Home Instead for their care in the last weeks of his life.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his memory to Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston Street, Suite 200, Lafayette, LA 70503, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or the First Methodist Church, 119 Jefferson Street, New Iberia, LA 70560.

In accordance with Carlos and Judy’s wishes, a private family memorial service will be held at First Methodist Church of New Iberia.  Inurnment will take place at Holy Family Cemetery in New Iberia.  Thanks to Pellerin Funeral Home for handling the arrangements.

Pellerin Funeral Home, 502 Jefferson Terrace, New Iberia, LA 70560, (337.365.3331)