Ernest Freyou

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Ernest Freyou, whose passing from this life his family announces with great sadness, yet profound faith in the love and mercy of God. He passed away surrounded by love, respect and gratitude at the age of 78, on Friday evening, 1 September, at his home on Freyou Road following a courageously fought extended illness. He leaves his wife of nearly 60 years, the former Deanna Fouquier; his five children, Jeffery of Thibodaux and his wife the former Lucy Coquat, Joni of New Iberia and her husband A.B. Dolph Curet, III, Joy of New Iberia and her husband Michael Bonin, Jason of Breaux Bridge and his wife the former Cindy Carpenter, and Jeremy of Youngsville and his wife the former Lauren Senette; eighteen grandchildren, Heath and Lee Freyou, Beau, Mary Claire, Caroline, Andrew and Adam Curet, Breigh Bonin Casanova and husband Brian, and Alex and Ian Bonin, Jacob, Joshua, Emily, Jordan and Joseph Freyou, and Emma, William and Thomas Freyou; two great-grandchildren, Daniel and Katherine Casanova; his brothers, Glenn and Wayne of New Iberia; and sister, Phyllis Freyou Phillips of New Iberia. Going before him were his parents, Sidney Doc Freyou and Irene Landry Freyou, and his grandparents, Simon and Anastasia Broussard Freyou and George Joseph and Feliciane Louviere Landry. He was born in New Iberia and grew up on the family farm in rural Iberia Parish. He always cherished the lessons about life and hard work he learned as a boy working with his family on the farm. He attended Peebles School, was a graduate of New Iberia High School and the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Embarking upon a life of generous duty to God, family and country, he joined the Louisiana Army National Guard in 1957, was commissioned an officer in 1960, and served a long distinguished career in Artillery, Infantry, Transportation and Finance before retiring a Colonel of the United States Army Reserve in 1990. After serving Iberia Parish as Secretary-Treasurer of the Police Jury from 1966 until 1983, during which time he was active in the Louisiana Secretary- Treasurers Association, he turned to a career in banking when he accepted an invitation to work for the New Iberia National Bank, whose president and CEO he became in 1988 after its re-branding as New Iberia Bank. He remained as regional president of Regions of Acadiana after that banks purchase of New Iberia Bank in 1997, until his retirement in 2005. In retirement, he sought to serve Iberia Parish once again and was elected as Iberia Parish President from 2008 until 2012. He also spent years serving on the boards of Iberia Medical Center, Teche Electric Cooperative (president), the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation (chairman), the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce, First National Bankers Bank in Baton Rouge, CoBank in Denver, Colorado, Teche Federal Bank in New Iberia, and the advisory board of IberiaBank. He was proud to serve on the boards of the Community Foundation of Acadiana, the Sugarcane Festival Association, the Acadian Memorial Foundation, the Shadows-on-the-Teche, the United Way of Iberia, as well as on the finance commission of St. Nicholas Church in Lydia. He was always especially proud of his attachment to the Iberia Parish 4-H Foundation of which he was a founding member, and was honored in 2016 by induction into the Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame. He loved to travel and most cherished his pilgrimages to the Catholic shrines of North America, Europe and the Holy Land. The family respectfully requests visitors to come to Pellerin Funeral Home in New Iberia between 3:00 and 9:00 pm on Tuesday, 5 September, and again from 9:00 am until 1:30 pm on Wednesday, 6 September. The Holy Rosary will be prayed at 7:00 pm on Tuesday evening. A Requiem Mass will be at 2 pm on Wednesday, 6 September, at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in New Iberia, Rev. Fr. Bill Melancon, presiding. Entombment will follow in the Holy Family Cemetery in New Iberia. Pallbearers will be his grandsons. Honorary pallbearers will be Terrel Dressel, Allen Gosnell, Preston Guillotte, Kenneth Kenu Romero, E.P. Topper Breaux, Leo Lancon, Tracy Migues, Jackie Judice, Ray Pellerin, Henry Fairchild, Alfred Ackal, Tommy LeBlanc, Huey Olivier, Jerry Shea, Mike Berry, Art Suberbielle, Chris Jordan, Jerome Weber, Reagan Sutton, Dr. Charles Miller, and godson Matthew Freyou. The family wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude for the kind and superb care provided over the years and recently by Dr. Jimmy Falterman, Dr. Gene Brierre, Dr. Jon Leleux, Dr. D.J. Daly, Dr. William Wierda and Dr. Techksell Washington and their associates and staffs, and by the inimitable nursing staff of the 5th floor of Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, and for the tender care of Hospice of Acadiana. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that contributions be made to Catholic Services of Acadiana, the Shadows-on-the-Teche, M D Anderson, or Hospice of Acadiana. Pellerin Funeral Home, 502 Jefferson Terrace Blvd, New Iberia, LA 70560, 337.365.3331, is in charge of arrangements.