Howard "Tally" Fournet

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 406 E. Pinhook Road, Lafayette, LA for Howard Louis “Tally” Fournet. Interment will take place in Lafayette Memorial Park Cemetery. Howard Fournet, born to Anne Aurore Labbe Fournet and Jean Fournet on May 19, 1926, died on December 22, 2017. He passed away that afternoon, asleep in his chair. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Paul, James, Thomas, Robert; his sisters, Jeanne and Nell. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Gretchen Elizabeth Sessions Fournet; brothers, Fred and Dan, and sister, Louise. He is also survived by his children, Rebecca Moss (Jefferson Moss, esq.), Brian (Gay Fournet), Constance Becker (Richard Becker, esq.), Stephen (Jenifer Fournet), and Elizabeth Hamilton (Scott Hamilton, MD); his eleven grandchildren and one great grand-son. Tally was born in Lafayette and was raised on the Fournet family dairy farm on Johnston Street, land now occupied by Albertson’s and the University of Lafayette athletic fields. Following his two older brothers into service, Tally volunteered for the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, boxing, leading PT, and soloing in flight training during his stint. According to Tally, Basic Training was a vacation after farm life during the Great Depression. After the war, he returned home to attend the Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now ULL) on the GI Bill, graduating in May 1951. Of note, Tally played both center and defensive line for the SLI Bulldogs football team. During college he met the girl of his dreams at Judice Inn and on June 2, 1951, married Elizabeth Sessions at Our Lady of Wisdom Chapel. This love affair continued for the rest of his life, as he was a devoted, attentive, and kind husband. There are not enough words to describe Tally’s many adventures in the course of his full life. He owned and operated Fournet’s Winwood Chevron on Johnston Street since 1957. Though operated now by his son Brian, Tally continued to show up for work into his late 80’s. He flew charters for his brother at Paul Fournet Air Service and was a member of the Commemorative Air Force. A devout Catholic, Tally sang bass in the men’s choir at Our Lady of Fatima. An avid traveler, he took his family on decades’ worth of road trips throughout the western United States, Mexico, and Canada, wearing out 4 RVs. Their first camper was a school bus he converted himself. Besides flying and traveling, Tally enjoyed hunting, attending UL Cajun football, baseball, and softball games with his kids and grandkids, and reading every history and biography he could get his hands on. He radiated charm and bonhomie, particularly when telling stories of life on the farm, in the Air Force, of flying, and on the road. Besides rearing five successful children, he was father figure and mentor to many young people, too numerous to recount here. Known for his integrity and warmth, Tally was deeply loved by so many and will be terribly missed. The family requests that visiting hours be observed on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 from 2:30 pm until time of service at St. Patrick Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Patrick Catholic Church. Personal condolences may be sent to the Fournet family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA is in charge of funeral arrangements.

Howard "Tally" Fournet

May 19, 1926 - December 22, 2017