Herbert H. Abdalla

Funeral Services will be held at a 2:00 pm Mass of Christian Burial on Sunday in the Delhomme Chapel of the Flowers for Herbert Abdalla, 92, who passed away on October 14, 2010 at 10:00 pm at his residence. Reverend Monsigner Harry Benefiel will be Celebrant of the Mass and will conduct the funeral services. Con-Celebrants will be Reverend Monsignor Keith DeRouen, Pastor of Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Opelousas as well as Reverend Chester Arceneaux, Pastor of Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Lectors will be his granddaughters, Amanda Barron Black, and Jasmine Marie Abdalla. Giftbearers will be his three granddaughters. Eulogist will be his granddaughter Bradley Elizabeth Black, Dr. Ray Authement, and Judge Kaliste Saloom. Entombment will take place in Calvary Mausoleum. Mr. Abdalla, a resident of Lafayette, LA, was the son of the late George Abdalla of Beirut, Lebanon and the former Jasmin Hashim of Beirut, Lebanon. He was born in Opelousas, Louisiana. He was a graduate of the Academy of the Immaculate Conception in 1935, receiving the American Legion Leadership Scholarship Award. He attended Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama then he moved to Lafayette in 1938 and has been prominent in civic affairs since then. He was President of Chamber of Commerce in 1953 and served as a board member from 1952-53, and as chairman of the Merchant's Division in 1951, and as chairman of the membership committee in 1952. At United Givers Fund he served as a board member and chairman of the Big Gifts Committee in 1959-60. He was chairman of the Cathedral Parish Building Campaign in 1955, was director of the Lafayette Public Buildings Corporation for 1956-62, was co-chairman of the Lafayette Municipal Auditorium Planning and Building Committee from 1956-60, was Vice President of the Lafayette Town House in 1959 and served as a director from 1957-59. He was Chairman of the Lafayette Downtown Development Association in 1962, was a board member of the American Red Cross in 1961, was on the advisory board of the Academy of the Sacred Heart from 1958-61. He was president of the Lafayette Rotary Club in 1956-57 and served on the board of directors from 1950-58. He was on the board of directors of the Acadiana Arts Council in 1978. He served two, three year terms as a director of the USL Foundation and Chairman of the USL Advisory Council in 1970. He reigned as King Gabriel XXII in 1961, and as a parade marshal in 1994, and has served on the board of directors of the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association and is a co-founder and former director of the Krewe of Gabriel. He has served on the King's Selection Committee of the southwest Mardi Gras Association for 25 years. He served on the Lafayette Civic Cup in 1980. He was on the board of Lafayette General Hospital Membership Corporation. He was named Chairman of the Acadiana Village Christmas Festival "Noel Acadien Au Village" in 1992. He received "Friends of 4H Awards" for 30 years of participation in the annual awards. He served as a director of the Guaranty Bank for 12 years. He was a veteran of WWII-serving with the 70th Infantry Division. He is a life scout and served the Boy Scouts as Scoutmaster, neighborhood commissioner and as chairman of District Leadership Training Committee, and awarded the Distinguished Citizen Award by the Lafayette Area Council of Boy Scouts in 1991. In 1997 he was named an honorary chairman of the USL Centennial Campaign. In 2006 he was Inducted into the Acadiana Business Hall of fame. The Herbert Abdalla family was awarded the Heymann Participation Award in 1990 and the Abdalla families were honored with the Annual Bishop's Charity Ball Award in 1994, the Premier Bank and USL College of Business and Administration as family business of the year in 1994 and the top award of the top 100 businesses in 1995 by the Times of Acadiana and the First National Bank. In January 2001 the University of Louisiana at Lafayette officially dedicated Abdalla Hall, located in University Research Park on Cajundome Boulevard. The Abdalla family sponsored the Abdalla Christmas Parade from 1965-1997. He was a member of the following organizations: Oakborne Country Club (Charter Member), Knights of Columbus, Lafayette American Legion, Chamber of Commerce, Krewe of Gabriel (Charter member) and a member of UL President's Club. He retired as president and CEO of Abdalla's Lafayette, Inc. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Evelina DeJean Abdalla of Lafayette; one daughter, Barbara Black and her husband William "Tom" of Lafayette; one son, Harold Charles Abdalla and his wife Elizabeth of Lafayette; three granddaughters, Bradley Elizabeth Black, Amanda Barron Black, and Jasmine Marie Abdalla. He was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers, Tony Abdalla, Jake Abdalla, Ed Abdalla, Johnny Abdalla and Jimmy Abdalla; one sister, Rose Abdalla McKnight. The family requests that visiting hours be observed on Sunday at Delhomme Funeral Home of Lafayette from 12:30 pm until service time. Pallbearers will be William "Tom" Black, John McKnight, Edward Abdalla IV, Adam Abdalla, Claude Blanchard and Fred DeJean. Honorary Pallbearers will be George Abdalla, Robert Abdalla, Louis Michot, Joe Petro, Dr. Al Beacham, Richard Daquin, Dr. Walter Comeaux, Dr. Harold Chastant, Sweeny Smith and Ted Beaullieu. According to Mr. Herbert's wishes, the family would like to thank all of our good friends, former employees, professional caregivers and those who took care of him at home including Lorita, Cathy, Sheila, Audrey, Renasha, Elizabeth, Dedra and Christine. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in the name of Mr. Abdalla to the Carmelites Monastery, 1250 Carmel Avenue, Lafayette, 70501 or to UL Foundation, C/O UL Development Office, 600 E. St. Mary Boulevard, Lafayette, LA, 70503 or to Heart of Hospice, 201 W. Vermilion Street, Lafayette, LA, 70501. Personal condolences may be sent to the Abdalla family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA, is in charge of funeral arrangements.

Herbert H. Abdalla

April 15, 1918 - October 14, 2010