Matthew James Schott, Sr.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, August 26, 2023 in St. Mary Mother of the Church for Matthew James Schott, Sr. Rev. Cedric Sonnier, Pastor of St. Mary Mother of the Church, will be Celebrant of the Mass and will conduct the funeral services. Burial will take place in Holy Mary Mother of God Cemetery. Matthew James Schott, Sr., passed away peacefully on August 22, 2023 in Lafayette, LA. He was 88. Matt was born in New Orleans. The youngest of seven children, he is preceded in death by his parents, Bernard and Eugenie Oelkers Schott and siblings: Arthur, Ben, Paul, Rosemary, Steven, and Patrick, and beloved in-laws, Mary, Belle, Miles Stevens, Margaret, and Joan. He graduated from Jesuit High School, Loyola University, and Tulane. He earned his PhD from Vanderbilt where he met his wife, Leah. He was a history professor at the University of Louisiana for 35 years. Married for 58 years, Matt and Leah raised a family of five children. He spent a life perfecting his French and Creole feasts inspired by Julia Child and Josephine Decuir. He perused the latest delicacies at Joey’s, preparing meals that routinely sparked disputes over portion size. This added to the boisterous atmosphere of the dinner table and often led in-laws and guests to marvel at the cacophony. Matt’s research interests included Governor John Parker and early 20th century U.S. history. A former President of the Louisiana Historical Association, Matt authored many articles and edited several books. He studied the experiences of German POWs incarcerated in Louisiana during World War II and helped to organize a return trip of former POWs to visit the sites of the “Bayou Stalags”. Matt often credited his mother for this interest. As a child he once encountered German POWs doing work near his home, and his mother caught him pretending to shoot at a POW. She admonished him to think about how he would want his three brothers who were serving overseas to be treated if they were captured. Matt is survived by his beloved wife Leah, their 5 children and 10 grandchildren: Jim and Karen Schott of Jackson, MS, their children Sarah and Alexander; Christine Schott of Lafayette, LA; Kathleen and Rodolfo Espinoza of Lafayette, LA, their children Anna, Leah, Lilly, and Maria; Joe and Jen Schott of Wellesley, MA, their children Matthew, Meghan, and Katie; Karl and Mandy Schott of Lafayette, LA, their daughter Marguerite; Leah’s sister Kathryn and her husband George Green of Arlington, TX; and many beloved nieces and nephews. The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Delhomme Funeral Home - Bertrand on Friday, August 25, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM. A Rosary will be prayed at 6:00 PM on Friday evening in the funeral home. Visiting hours will continue Saturday, August 26, 2023 at St. Mary Mother of the Church from 9:00 AM until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Department of History, Geography, and Philosophy at UL or buy your loved one a gift card to Joey’s. Personal condolences may be sent to the Schott family at: www.delhommefuneralhome.com Matthew James Schott, Sr. and his family were cared for and entrusted final arrangements to Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA. Copyright Delhomme Funeral Homes, Inc. August 2023

Matthew James Schott, Sr.

January 26, 1935 - August 22, 2023