Willis Joseph Talley

St. Martinville ~ A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, August 20, 2007, at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville, for Willis Joseph Talley, 81, who died on Friday, August 17, 2007 at his residence in St. Martinville. Entombment will follow at St. Michael Mausoleum, in St. Martinville. Father Leger will conduct the services. Willis and his brothers, John and Mitchell, founded J. B. Talley & Company Inc., Peltier Brothers, Inc., Concrete Products, Inc., and Talley Ice Company. He served as vice president of these businesses until 1976 and then as president until his retirement in 1991. He was also a former member and past president of the Louisiana Asphalt Association, former member of the Association of General Contractors, previously served on the board of Lafayette General Hospital, and was an active member on the Board of Directors of St. Martin Bank and Trust Company and St. Agnes Nursing Home. Mr. Talley was a veteran of World War II, having honorably served his country in the United States Navy. He is survived by two sons, David "Bubba" Talley, and his wife, Eve, and William "Billy" Talley and his wife, Tammy, all of New Iberia; five daughters, Debbie T. Howard, and her husband, Jerry, of New Iberia, Mary T. Desormeaux and her husband, Kim, of St. Martinville, Alicia "Lysie" Lutgring and her husband, Kit, of Lafayette, Alice Marie Talley, of St. Martinville, and Carla T. Dronette and her husband, Kevin, of Lafayette; two sisters, Bernice T. Hodges, of Newman, Georgia, and Mary Ann T. Griffin, of Baton Rouge; 19 grandchildren; and 4 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Euclide and Alcide Callier Talley; his wife, Carlene Blum Talley; a grandson, Lance Joseph Talley; three brothers, John, Mitchell, and Dennis Talley; and three sisters, Alice Talley, Mary Rose T. Coleman, and Aline T. Soto. A gathering of family and friends will be held at the funeral home from 7:00 a.m. on Monday and continue until time of service. A rosary will be recited by Fr. Degeyter at 10:00 a.m. on Monday. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston St., Ste. 200, Lafayette, LA 70503. Pellerin Funeral Home, 112 New Market Street, St. Martinville, LA, 70582, (337.394.9121), is in charge of arrangements.