Gaynell Guidry Castille

Breaux Bridge - A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Breaux Bridge for Gaynell Guidry Castille, 83. The family requests that visiting hours be observed at the funeral home from 9:30 am until 12:30 pm on Tuesday. A rosary will be prayed at 12:00 pm. Rev. Garrett McIntyre will officiate at the Funeral Mass. Readers will be Horace Guidry and Kurt Guidry. Gift Bearers will be Jayden Voebel, Max Guidry, and Kadix Marcantel. Interment will follow at St. Bernard Cemetery No. 2 in Breaux Bridge. She always did her collars first when she ironed because that’s how her mother taught her. The sleeves had to have a crease in them. If not, do it over. As for the pleat down the back, we remain confused about whether to bring it all the way down or not. This was important because if you cared for someone, you cared about how they looked when they stepped out of the house. And if you didn’t know this already, she would tell you. Gaynell “Gay” Castille, who passed away on January 7th at Lafayette General Hospital, left behind many lessons to her daughters, and the friends and family who knew her. Some of the lessons are practical ones. Some lessons we learned by watching how she lived her life, her acts of kindness unexpected and certainly unsolicited. We learned If the shoes aren’t polished or the heel tips worn, the whole outfit is ruined. If you met Gay, she was a walking fashion statement. Always put together, hair and make-up too. She was proud to be our mother or friend, and she wanted us to be proud too. Chico’s will surely miss her. One day, at the local Walgreens, a woman was filling a prescription holding her crying baby in one arm and her toddler in the other. The woman and her children were moving from Florida to Texas and had exited I-10 in Breaux Bridge to grab supper. With a car loaded with everything they own and their family dog, the dog mistook the baby for the burger. The doctors at the walk-in clinic prescribed antibiotics. Gay paid for the medicines, and booked a hotel room for the family. We learned from Gay to leave people around you more comfortable than how you find them. She could do this with her words or her actions. Gay was a modest woman. We knew she loved to read and write; her home filled with books, her retirement time spent in a journaling class or two through UL Lafayette, and the occasional poem you might get on your birthday or other special occasion. But in sifting through her memorabilia, we discovered from a newspaper article that she represented her high school in journalism at the LSU leadership conference. And, that she was editor of the school paper. She couldn’t hide her contribution to the high school band as flute player though. In 1954, under the direction of Harry Greig, the Breaux Bridge High School Band was invited, to represent the State of Louisiana, to perform in New York and Washington, DC, a prestigious recognition the community still talks about. Although Gay had many she loved and who loved her, it was her relationship with God that was most profound. She was an active parishioner of the St. Bernard Catholic Church in Breaux Bridge and belonged to "Come Lord Jesus" bible group. She extended her innate compassion for others by being a member of the Theresians, a Catholic and Christian woman’s group promoting “presence and service that exemplify love, compassion, tolerance, understanding, and empathy”. Gay embodied these principles through her devotion to God and by applying them to her daily living. In lieu of flowers, do a random act of kindness. Leave the people around you more comfortable than how you found them, either by words or deeds. Gay is survived by her three daughters, Terri LeVasseur of Breaux Bridge, Nanci Castille of Lafayette, and Conni Castille of Breaux Bridge; seven grandchildren, James Naquin, Michael Naquin, Blake Mouton, Ashley Mouton, Jade Marcantel, Luke Marcantel, Cezaire Green; eight great grandchildren; two brothers, Horace (Carleen) Guidry of Lafayette and Kurt (Eva) Guidry of Breaux Bridge. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ralph Joseph Castille; parents, Edwin and Rose Mae Gravouia Guidry; and her son-in-law, Kirk '"Doc" Levasseur. Pallbearers will be Luke Marcantel, Michael Naquin, Cezaire Green, Kyle Guidry, James Naquin, and Jade Marcantel. Honorary pallbearers will be Caleb Marcantel, Dwayne Guidry, Johnny Devillier, Erral LeBlanc, R.L. Ketelers, and Carson Albert. Pellerin Funeral Home of Breaux Bridge, 211 Berard St., Breaux Bridge, LA 70517, (337-332-2111) is in charge of arrangements.