Octave GuteKunst

St. Martinville - A Memorial Mass will be held at 1 p.m., on Saturday, April 20, 2013, at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville, for Octave Otto GuteKunst, Jr.A gathering of family and friends will be held from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday, and continue on Saturday at 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., at Pellerin Funeral Home in St. Martinville. A rosary will be prayed at 7 p.m. on Friday.Octave Otto GuteKunst, Jr. 'Gutie', died Thursday at his home in St. Martinville, surrounded by his family. Gutie was born in St. Martinville, youngest child of Octave and Josephine (Barras) GuteKunst. He was preceded in death by his wife (Eastcott 'Scottie' Robinson GuteKunst); his parents; his siblings Ruby Badon, Carl GuteKunst, Earl GuteKunst, Rosy Angelle, Rona Simonin; one son-in-law Elemore Morgan, Jr.; and a favorite niece, Rosianne Angelle Durand. Although a worldly man, Gutie died in his home a mere block from the front bedroom of his mothers home, where he was born 90 years ago. His life in between these events was full of uncommon adventures and calculated risk-taking. Gutie graduated from SLI in electrical and chemical engineering, and served during WWII in the Pacific Theater. Following the war, he spent most of his working life in the sugar industry in Dominican Republic and Haiti, with intermediate jobs as manager of the Breaux Bridge Sugar Co-op and the Levert St. John Sugar Mill. He retired as General Manager and CEO of Haitian American Sugar Company outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti.Gutie contributed to his community through various civic organizations such as: Rotary, Lions Club, Kiwanis, St. Martin Recycling, Civitan, AARP, American Sugar Association, St. Martin Parish Book Talk, and Farm Bureau Board. He helped farmers complete applications for farm relief, he volunteered at Breaux Bridge Senior High, he gave to any charity that asked and some that didnt. He recycled, replanted, repaired and re-gifted. No tree was too small to keep, no service too big to provide.Gutie and Scottie raised their nine children by example to be kind, to be fair, and to think for themselves. His Catholic faith was strong and constant; his expressed hoped was that his children find their own strong faith in God. He imparted his love and knowledge of chess, cards, tennis, and golf to his children, and showed them how to fix appliances, cars, pipes, and electrical connections. He instilled in them his adventurous spirit: over mountains, out to dams, through artichoke fields, to beaches replete with spiny sea urchins, stingrays and strong tides. He provided books, horses, dogs, cats, music, bicycles, laughter, and more books. He disciplined with a snap of his fingers and a 'Did you hear your mother' His rendition of 'And the Tears Flowed Like Wine' healed many a skinned knee and broken heart. Family stories of Guties outlandish clothing and outrageous chance-taking will long be told. If he said he was doing 'Poorly', you knew he was doing just fine.He is survived by his nine children; Mary Morgan, Carol Lagarde, Charles Gutekunst, Yvonne Kolarik, Christine Berard, Patricia Gutekunst, Claire Rogers, John Gutekunst and Jo Catherine Gutekunst; their spouses: Dr. Henry Lagarde, Eva Gutekunst, Dr. William Kolarik, Dan Berard, Ron Rogers, and Avis Gutekunst; his nieces Marjorie Flad, Ruby Segura, and Rona ORegan. He is fondly remembered by 17 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. The family is grateful for the assistance of St. Joseph Hospice and A First Name Basis. Our gratitude is extended to Daddys sitters and his nurse, especially Brandi Etienne, Nicole Narcisse, and Cheryl Polite. Family requests, in lieu of flowers, books to your favorite library.As Gutie would have said, 'Thats all she wrote!'Pellerin Funeral Home, 112 New Market St., St. Martinville, LA 70582, (337.394.9121), is in charge of arrangements.