Lennet Charles

St. Martinville - Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, September 12, 2009, at Notre Dame Catholic Church in St. Martinville, for Lennet Charles, 82, who passed away on Monday, September 7, 2009 at Dauterive Hospital in New Iberia. Interment will follow at St. Michael Cemetery in St. Martinville. Father Augustina will officiate at the Funeral Mass. Readers will be Sir C. Black and Stephanie Benoit. Gift Bearers will be Racquel Charles, Precious Charles, Princess Charles, and Lanetta Mills. Mr. Charles was very involved in the St. Martinville area, where he helped to organize and form baseball and football programs for the youth in the community, while also volunteering as a Little League Coach. He enjoyed horse racing, wrestling, boxing, baseball and football. Lennet would often enlighten his family and friends with his words of wisdom, "Life is real; so is death" and "Do not take people for what they are." Lennet was married to the love of his life, Mary, for 55 beautiful years. He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Lewis Charles, of St. Martinville; four sons, Arthur Landry and wife, Goldie, of Memphis, TN, Leonard Charles, of St. Martinville, Steven Charles, Sr. and wife, Stephanie, of Lafayette, and Lucas E. Charles, of St. Martinville; two daughters, Charlene Jefferson and Charlotte J. Black and husband, Theodore, all of Houston, TX; three sisters, Gertie Mae Mallery, of Dallas, TX, Theresa Charles Vital, and Alberta Lidell, both of Jackson, MS; 11 grandchildren, Lanetta Mills, Quincy Charles, Ranisha Arcangel Pushia, Natalie Wakefield, Racquel Charles, Steven Charles, Jr., Tocharro M. Hurst, Sir C. Black, Precious Charles, Princess Charles, and Malik Charles; and 19 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, J. B. Charles, Sr. and Victorine Jean Batiste Charles; a son, Jules Bernard Charles; one brother, Goldie Charles; and three sisters, Helen Joseph, Elizabeth Hypolite, and Larina Lasseigne. The family requests that visiting hours be observed at the funeral home from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Saturday A rosary will be recited at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Pallbearers will be Steven Charles, Jr., Quincy Charles, Sir C. Black, Keith Matthews, Malik Charles, and Nathaniel Lewis. Honorary pall bearers will be Leonard Charles, Steven Charles, Sr., Lucas E. Charles, Arthur J. Landry, Timothy Theodore Black, and Clarence Joseph. Pellerin Funeral Home of St. Martinville is in charge of arrangements.