Merlyn A. LaChaussee

Funeral Services will be held at a 1:30 pm Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, January 13, 2012 at Holy Cross Catholic Church for Merlyn A. LaChaussee, Sr., 83, who passed away on January 11, 2012 at 4:40 am at The Regional Medical Center of Acadiana. Reverend Howard Blessing, Pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, will be Celebrant of the Mass and will conduct the funeral services. Entombment will take place in Calvary Cemetery. Merlyn LaChaussee, the son of Hazard LaChaussee and Rosa Vincent LaChaussee, was born in Youngsville, Louisiana on January 17, 1928. He graduated from Lafayette High School in 1945 and attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute until he enlisted in the Army on January 11, 1946. He was a Special Agent in the Counter Intelligence Corp. at Darmstadt, Germany. He served in this capacity until March, 1948 at which time he was seriously injured and severely burned in an auto accident. He received extensive plastic surgery at Valley Forge General Hospital, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania and later at John Sealy Hospital, Galveston, Texas. He returned to SLI and completed his degree in 1956. He worked for the Department of Transportation, Washington, DC and transferred to Atlanta, Georgia where he worked for the Department of Labor as a Financial Comptroller until he retired and moved back to Lafayette, Louisiana in 1984. He later worked as a realtor for Van Eaton and Romero for 20 years. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Nedia Dupont LaChaussee of Lafayette, two daughters, Milissa LaChaussee of Thomaston, GA, and Mary L. Attales and husband Mark of Lafayette, LA; two sons, Merlyn A. LaChausse, Jr. and wife Linda of Lafayette, LA and Michael A. LaChaussee and partner Timothy Stanley of Atlanta, GA; five grandchildren, Laura LaChaussee, Andrew LaChaussee, Jordan Attales, Kelli Attales, and Tyler Attales; and his sister, Cynthia LaChaussee Trahan and husband Roger of Lafayette. He was preceded in death by his parents, and one son, Patrick LaChaussee. The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Delhomme Funeral Home of Lafayette on Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 10:00 am until 8:00 pm and on Friday from 8:00 until the time of service. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 pm Thursday, January 12, 2012, at Delhomme Funeral Home. Pallbearers will be Mark Trahan, Ryan Trahan, J.C. Gallet, Darrell Vincent, Duane Boudreaux and Carroll Caillier. Honorary pallbearers will be Raymond Reaux, Eddie Louvierre, and Ernie Dugas. The family would like to thank Dr. Spiller, Dr. Kinchen and all of the other doctors and nurses who cared for him during his illness. They would also like to thank the staff and caregivers at Maison de Lafayette and Heart of Hospice of Lafayette. Memorial contributions may be made in Merlyn LaChaussee's name to Heart of Hospice, 201 West Vermilion Street, Ste. 200, Lafayette, LA, 70501. Personal condolences may be sent to the LaChaussee family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA, is in charge of funeral arrangements.

Merlyn A. LaChaussee

January 17, 1928 - January 11, 2012