Lindsey James Landry

VIEW VIDEO TRIBUTE A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 3, 2009, at Pellerin Funeral Home Chapel in Breaux Bridge for Lindsey James Landry, 68, who died peacefully at his home on Thursday, August 27, 2009. Mr. Landry donated his body to science. Lindsey graduated from Breaux Bridge High in 1959 and from USL in 1963 with honors in the College of Education. While at USL, he was selected by the faculty as the Student Teacher of the Year. He attained a Masters in Education from USL in 1967 compiling a 4.0 GPA. He continued his educational pursuits at LSU in Baton Rouge attaining a plus-30 designation with only a dissertation lacking for a Doctorate degree in education. He served the St. Martin Parish School system for 33 /12; years as a teacher, coach, principal and director. Lindsey was selected by the State Department of Education as a master teacher, demonstrating to teachers statewide the Inquiry Role Approach to teaching science. The athletic teams he assisted in coaching won various parish and district titles and participated in state playoff competition. While teaching science at Breaux Bridge Junior High, Lindsey was selected to participate in the National Science Foundation courses in botany and zoology. He also attended summer classes in Marine Biology in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. In 1969, Lindsey was named principal of Breaux Bridge High School. During the first five years of school desegregation, he was instrumental in easing the transition of hundreds of students in Breaux Bridge from a segregated school system to an integrated one. Later, as the Director of Special Programs for St. Martin Parish, his responsibilities included supervising student transportation services, providing for the health, safety and welfare of thousands of students through an efficient school transportation system, including hundreds of bus drivers transporting thousands of students. He was involved in the design and construction of numerous building projects, including the new Breaux Bridge High School in 1973. Lindsey oversaw the parish athletic and science programs and was responsible for million dollar budgets for all the above-mentioned programs. In 1975, Lindsey was selected to be a member of Rotary International Group Study Program in Australia. While there, he traveled to New South Wales, Victoria, and other cities in South Australia. Members of the group lived with host families and studied industries, lifestyles, and the education system during the two months of travel down under. Upon retiring from the school system, Lindsey became the force behind the Acadiana Bay Association's endeavors to protect the Vermilion Bay from fresh water intrusion. He escorted members of the Army Corps of Engineers to areas in the Bay that the Corps had altered years ago that caused this intrusion, and wrote proposals for the corps to restore these areas to their natural condition. Lindsey was an avid fisherman and hunter and belonged to the Acadiana Spec Club, the Attakapas Hunting Club (since 1966), and the Krazy Kajun Hunting Club (Mountain Home, Texas). He enjoyed fishing in Big Lake, Cocodrie, Toledo Bend, Henderson Lake, the Atchafalaya Basin, and at Cypremort Point, where he and his family enjoyed their camp Hi-Lo. He also followed the stock market, enjoyed the challenge of investing, and belonged to the Teche Valley Investment Club and the Crown Royal Investment Club. He enjoyed sports, participating in the Breaux Bridge High football, basketball, and track teams, and continued his love of sports as a spectator. He was a faithful follower of the athletic programs at Breaux Bridge High, L.S.U., U.L., and the Saints. At home, Lindsey enjoyed gardening, reading, cooking and sharing his food with his family. He and his wife, Mary, enjoyed going to all activities involving their grandchildren - soccer, rugby, t-ball, track, dance revues, piano recitals, - and enjoyed many ski trips and vacations. Lindsey is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Alice Barras Landry, his daughter, Yvette Landry, his son, Michael Landry, daughter-in-law, Felicia, grandchildren, Trevor, Kaitlin, and Justin, sister and brother-in-law, Joyce and Nolan Menard, sister-in-law, Pauline Dickens, brother-in-law, Anthony "Taco" Barras, nieces, Virginia Dickens Julianne and Anna Lise Barras, and nephew, Vince Menard. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lucien and Viola Hebert Landry. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Miles Perret Cancer Center, 2130 Kaliste Saloom Rd., Suite 200, Lafayette, LA 70508. The family also wishes to thank Dr. James Cole of Lafayette, and Dr. Morris Groves, of M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas, for their care of Lindsey for the last six years. Through there care, Lindsey was cured of a rare brain cancer and enjoyed the friendship formed with these doctors and their staff. Pellerin Funeral Home of Breaux Bridge, (337.332.2199), is in charge of the memorial service, which will begin at 8:30 a.m., including the recitation of the Rosary at 10 a.m., and the service at 11:30 a.m.