(December 21, 1948 - March 22, 2012)
A funeral mass for Don Pat Descant will be at
Mr. Descant, age 63 of Bunkie, passed away on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at Our
Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge.
He is preceded in death by his parents; Metreades Dwight and Anna McDonald
Descant.
Survivors include his wife of 42 years; Becky Newton Descant of Bunkie; his
three children, Annie Catherine Descant Schmitt and her husband Jeffrey of
Ponchatoula, Patrick Newton Descant of Mandeville, and Megan Rebecca Descant of
Bunkie; three brothers, Dwight Descant and his wife Brenda of Bunkie, Trent
Descant and his wife Gwen of Sunset, and Chuck Descant and his wife Melinda of
Bunkie; his sister, Kay Descant Lee and her husband Jim of Bunkie; his grandchildren,
Dane Descant Schmitt, Jonah Newton Schmitt, Sebastian Peter Lemoine, and Nora
Ophelia Lemoine; his step-mother, Vivian Laprairie Descant of Bunkie; his
father and mother-in-law, Fred Peter and Doris Nell Blakewood Newton of Bunkie;
and many additional loving family and friends.
Mr. Descant was a native of Bunkie where he graduated from St. Anthony of Padua
Catholic School and Bunkie High School. He then went on to attend Northeast
Louisiana University in Monroe and McNeese State University in Lake Charles. He
served in the United States Army Reserves; he was a member of St. Anthony of
Padua Catholic Church where he served as a lector and Eucharistic Minister and
he was also a 4th Degree Knights of Columbus in the Bunkie chapter.
Mr. Descant was chairman of the board of M.D. Descant, Inc. which was
established 48 years ago by his father. Earning the rank of Eagle Scout was a
personal goal in his formative years, followed by service as an elected member
of the Bunkie City Council. Mr. Descant served on the Bunkie General Hospital
Board of Commissioners for 24 years. He was past president of Louisiana
Associated General Contractors and served on the organization’s legislative
council. He was also a former member of the Louisiana Licensing Board of Contractors,
and was chairman of the Avoyelles Parish Planning Commission. Mr. Descant was a
member of the Hancock Holding Company and served on the compensation committee.
He was recently named to the Board of Directors of Whitney Bank.
Friends may call from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday and 11:00 a.m. until
12:45 p.m. on Saturday at Hixson-Ducote Funeral Home of Bunkie. A wake service
will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
In lieu of flowers; memorials may be sent St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School,
116 S. Knoll, Bunkie, LA 71322; St. Joseph Catholic School, 175 North 8th St.,
Ponchatoula, LA 70454; Miles Perret Cancer Services, 2130 Kaliste Saloom Rd.,
Suite 200, Lafayette, LA 70508; and St. Jude Children’s Reserarch Hospital,
P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148.
Source: AvoyellesToday.com March 24, 2012