CAMILLE JAMES QUOYESER

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18) Camille James Quoyeser, local businessman, philanthropist, community activist and friend of all passed away on Friday, February 8, 2013 at the age of 69. A Funeral Mass will be held at 1:30 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Interment will follow in the St. John Cathedral Cemetery. The Rev. Msgr. Keith DeRouen, Pastor of the Our Lady Queen of Angels in Opelousas will preside over the Funeral Mass. Concelebrant will be Camille's cousin Msgr. Charles Dubois, pastor of St. Theodore Catholic Church in Moss Bluff. Full military honors will be conducted by members of the United States Air Force. Scripture passages will be read by his daughter Angela, his granddaughter Avery and his niece, Ursula Quoyeser. Gifts will be presented at the altar by his grandchildren. A special musical selection will be performed by his grandson Grant Rothermel. Eulogists will be lifelong friends, Paul "Buddy" Short and Richard Chappuis. Camille is survived by his loving wife Carolyn (Stafford) Quoyeser and his three children, Jared Quoyeser and his wife Mary (Guilbeau), John Quoyeser and his wife Jackie (Johnson) of Lafayette and Angela Quoyeser Rothermel and her husband Karl of Baton Rouge. He is also survived by eight grandchildren whom he absolutely adored: Avery, Mary Elise, Jared II and Lauren Quoyeser, all of Lafayette, Connor Bodin, Thomas, Gretchen and Grant Rothermel, all of Baton Rouge. Survivors also include his brother Bradley (and wife Beverly) of Lafayette, his sister Patsy (Quoyeser) Gros of Metairie and his in-laws Robert R. "Rudy" and Irene Stafford of Walker, Louisiana as well as his brothers-in-law Don, Kenneth, Charles and Bob Stafford and their families. He was predeceased by his parents Clement L. and Rosie (Brown) Quoyeser, his brother, Thomas Brown Quoyeser, Sr. and wife Ferdie Anne (Duos) Quoyeser, and his brother-in-law Ronald Gros, Sr. Camille was a proud graduate of Cathedral High School class of 1961 and of the University of Southwestern Louisiana where he attended college on a full athletic scholarship to play football and run track. While at USL he served as vice president of the Student Government Association, was a member of the Blue Key Honor Society and was a proud member of the Epsilon Chi chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity remaining active in the fraternity throughout his lifetime. Upon graduation from USL in 1965 he attended Tulane Law School and went on to proudly serve his country in the United States Air Force serving in Vietnam and earning the rank of Captain. Upon discharge from the Air Force he returned to his hometown of Lafayette to join his father Clem and his brother Brad to work with Clarke & Courts, a Texas based printing and business forms business. In the early 1970's he joined together with his family to establish Quoyeser Inc. where he continued to work with his brother, nephew and sons until the time of his death. Camille "Quack" Quoyeser loved life to the fullest and never met a stranger. He loved traveling and seeing new places. He enjoyed the "jois de vivre" of life, traveling around the globe. Two vacations he cherished most were going to the Indy 500 car race and taking his family on vacations including the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He loved attending UL basketball, baseball and football games and was a member of the Cajun Cooking Club at the UL baseball games. He faithfully attended his grandchildren's sporting events and was a tremendous fan of his beloved New Orleans Saints, having missed only one game in 38 years. He served as president and board member of Oakbourne Country Club and was an avid golfer and member of National Hole in One Association. Camille was devoted to Mardi Gras and cherished his membership in the Krewe of Gabriel. During his tenure in the Krewe of Gabriel he served as a Board Member, Duke, Commodore, Float Captain and Captain of the Ball. In 2011 Camille was honored by the Krewe of Gabriel as a thirty-five year volunteer as Chairman of the Float Committee and Float Riders Committee. He never missed riding a float for nearly 40 years, riding in both the Monday and Tuesday parades. To honor his memory, his two sons & son-in-law stood next to his empty chair which was placed on his float at his riding position along with his special "Quack" mask. Camille was also a member of The Musket Club, former member of The Greater Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association and was presented as a royal duke in the Krewe of Attakapas. Camille was a member of the University of Louisiana Foundation, the UL S-Club, the Ragin Cajun Club, the Ragin Cajun Athletic Foundation and UL Baseball Cajun Cooking Club. He was a sustaining member of the American Legion Post 69, The Acadiana Rose Society and Kappa Sigma fraternity who honored him as their 2009 Epsilon Chi chapter "Man of the Year". He spearheaded the drive to pay off the mortgage on the Kappa Sigma fraternity house at UL. He was on the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Top-28 High School Basketball Tournament and the "Blue Coats" organization and a member of the National Business Forms Association. The Louisiana Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation presented him the Volunteer Honor Award for his service. Pallbearers will be Richard Chappuis, Charles Chatelain, Steve Duncan, Bill Hodge, Charles Lancaster, Herb Schilling, Charles Schoeffler, Buddy Short, and Michael Thompson. Honorary pallbearers will be Cal Arabie, Dr. Paul Azar, Jr., Emile Bernard, Bobby Bozelle, Terry Fontenot, Brooke Hamilton, Kenneth Henke, Richard Kennedy, Ralph Kraft, Dr. Lee Leonard, Peter Martin, John "Stump" Medline, Sam Robertson and Harold Schoeffler as well as members of the Epsilon Chi chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity and employees of Quoyeser Inc. The community has truly lost a one-of-a-kind legend. There are so many wonderful stories about Camille that need to be shared. Please bring your stories and or pictures and drop them in the "memory basket" so his family can reminisce and honor his life. In lieu of flowers donations can be sent to the Discaled Carmelite Nuns Monastery of Lafayette, the Cathedral-Carmel Foundation or the Louisiana Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Visitation will be Wednesday, February 13th from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Delhomme Funeral Home of Lafayette with a rosary service at 7:00pm. A Remembrance Eulogy will be conducted by Buddy Short and Richard Chapuis at 6:30 pm prior to the Rosary at 7:00 pm. Visitation will follow on Thursday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at Delhomme Funeral Home, followed by a solemn high Mass funeral service at St. John's Cathedral at 1:30 pm. Interment will be in the family plot in the St. John Cathedral Cemetery. Personal condolences may be sent to the Quoyser family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA, is in charge of funeral arrangements.

CAMILLE JAMES QUOYESER

May 28, 1943 - February 8, 2013