El Jane R. Stelly

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 in St. Pius X Catholic Church in Lafayette, Louisiana for El Jane Romero Stelly, 82, who passed away on January 3, 2024. Rev. Jim Brady, Pastor of St. Pius X Catholic Church, will be the Celebrant of the Mass and will conduct the funeral services. Burial will take place at Our Lady of the Lake Cemetery in Delcambre, Louisiana. Jane, as she was known to all, was a resident of Lafayette, Louisiana and was the daughter of the late Edmar and Nilda Romero . Jane was a warm, gentle, and loving woman. To know her was to feel the warmth of her personality in her interactions with you. Her concern was always for others over herself, and she always wanted to do whatever she could to help other people. We have all heard the saying, “never met a stranger.” If this was true of anyone, it was true of Jane. She could talk to anyone and find common ground, no matter the person. She was truly quite the social butterfly. Jane was an amateur, self-taught artist. She loved to paint and experimented with different mediums, although she didn’t always have the time to practice this hobby as she would have wished. Her favorite subject was the scenes and landscapes of Acadiana. We, her family, are so grateful that she had and practiced this artistry, as we now have artwork that serves as remembrances of her. Jane was a devout Catholic. A parishioner of St. Pius X Catholic Church since the 1970s, she loved to attend mass and practice her faith. She was involved in a rosary group affiliated with St. Pius, and this gave her the opportunity to combine two loves - socializing and showing her devotion to our Lord! Jane’s great love was her husband, Pete. They were married on July 4, 1964 and enjoyed a loving union that lasted over 59 years. Pete often joked that she chose Independence Day as their marriage date so he would never forget their wedding anniversary! Pete loves to tell the story of when he and Jane met for the first time. It was at the Casablanca Club in New Iberia, Louisiana. She was sitting at a table with her sister and other friends. Pete went up to her and asked her to dance. He says that she looked him up and down before she stood up and agreed to dance with him. Jane’s side of the story was that she did not remember looking him up and down! Pete reply to her always was, “But I remember it!” Jane was extremely involved and volunteered throughout many decades with LARC, INC of Lafayette, Louisiana, a non profit with the mission of “serving the needs of people in Acadiana’s community with developmental disabilities and their families.” Ed, her beloved younger brother, had Down syndrome and this organization was instrumental in his life for many years. Jane worked tirelessly with the LARC Parents’ Club, whose membership is made up of parents and other family members. She helped plan and organize countless social functions and other activities with LARC. She was also involved with Special Olympics as Ed was a Special Olympics athlete in bowling. Jane worked part-time in banking as a teller for many decades until her retirement. The majority of her working life was spent with the same institution whose final iteration after many mergers was Chase Bank. However, her life’s work as a loving wife, mother and caregiver to Ed, her brother, particularly after their parents’ passing, was her proudest achievement and the work that gave her the most joy. We would like to acknowledge the pastoral care during Jane’s time at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Lafayette. Much thanks is given to Rev. Jim Brady and Rev. Raymond Ssebina Musisi, both of St. Pius X Catholic Church. We also thank Our Lady of Lourdes staff for their kind and compassionate care of her during her final days. Jane is survived by her beloved husband of over 59 years, John D. “Pete” Stelly; daughter, Janet Phillips (Clayton), son, Mark Stelly (Shannon), sister, Elizabeth Alma Primeaux and numerous family & friends. She was preceded in death by her loving parents, Edmar and Nilda Romero, and cherished younger brother, Ed Alan Romero. The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Delhomme Funeral Home - Bertrand on Monday, January 8, 2024 from 4:00PM to 8:00 PM. A Rosary will be prayed at 6:30 PM on Monday evening in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jane’s name to LARC, INC, 303 New Hope Road, Lafayette, LA 70506. Personal condolences may be sent to the family of El Jane R. Stelly at: www.delhommefuneralhome.com El Jane R. Stelly and her family were cared for and entrusted final arrangements to Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA. Copyright Delhomme Funeral Homes, Inc. January 2024

El Jane R. Stelly

September 9, 1941 - January 3, 2024