Visiting hours will be held today from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. at the funeral home. Visitation will continue Saturday from 8 a.m. until time of service.
Mr. Bearde died Thursday, March 13, 2008 in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
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Mr. Bearde remained a resident of his hometown until the age of 17, when he joined the military and served three and a half years in the Pacific Theater during WWII with the U.S. Navy and as a medic with the Fleet Marine Service of the U.S. Marines.
He served the last six months of World War II at the Amphibious Base at Oceanside, Calif. as a landing craft instructor and rescue at sea for the Navy and Marines based at Camp Pendleton at Oceanside, Calif. after being discharged from the military. He married Eileen Polser in Santa Monica, Calif.
They moved to the Kansas City area to raise their family for the next 25 years.
In 1940, at the age of 15, his interest for the grocery business began working for Sills Meat Market in his hometown of Rayne. After serving in WWII, he continued working in the food industry.
He worked almost 65 years in the wholesale and supermarkets, serving mostly in executive positions in management, some of which include counselor, supervision director, meat operation, director of retail operations for two No. 1 companies of America, senior vice president, merchandising trainer for perishable operations, four years counseling and cooperation with the KSU and MSV Marketing and Extension Services for the Developments of New Concepts, Time and Motion Studies of the Food Industry.
He was instrumental in helping to develop the First Central Meat Cutting Plant in the U.S., in 1963 located in Topeka, Kansas.
In the late 1960's, he owned three of his own supermarkets in Kansas, Warsaw, Ms. and Conway, Ark.
When his wife died, he decided he wanted to return to Louisiana one day. On June 4, 1971, he married his wife Melva Buy, of Little Rock, Ark. Four years later he moved back to Acadiana.
After returning to his Cajun roots, he was employed by Southern Supermarket Services located in Lafayette as Senior Vice President of Perishable Operations.
In 1981, he co-owned his first supermarket in New Iberia with lawyer partner, the late, Leon Roy Jr. After Mr. Roy’s death, Mr. Bearde began acquiring additional supermarkets with co-partner, long time grocerman, Marc Mayeaux.
In 1989, a Junior Partner was needed with the acquisition of more stores and Mr. Bill Ainsworth joined the company as Vice President of merchandising. Mayeaux served as President and Mr. Bearde was Chairman and CEO. The stores were known as the Piggly Wiggly's of Acadiana, New Iberia, Evangeline Thruway, Oil Center, Moss Street, Simcoe Street, Mamou, Johnston Street and Bestway, North Lafayette.
Mr. Bearde, continued being an avid news watcher and enjoyed making improvements on his home, spending time with his family friends and his beloved dog CoCo.
He was a member of Boy Scout Commissioner, Tomahawk Council, KS; Rotary Club; Board of Director B.B.B. Commander Post; American Legion; St. Joseph Catholic Church, Shawnee, Kan.
He was a past member of Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas Retailers Association. He was also a past member of FMI, The National Grocers Association, and National Poultry and Beef Counsel.
Mr. Bearde received the Spirit of America Award, Gold Knife Award, Food Industry Award, Paul Harris Fellow Award of Rotary Club, 620, New Iberia, Inducted into National Grocers Hall of Fame in 1992, received American flag flown over nations capital, authorized by then, Honorable, Vice President of the United States, Dan Quayle, in honor of his Spirit of America Award and numerous other civic awards.
He worked as a Owner/Operator of eight Piggly Wiggly's in Acadiana.
He is survived by his wife, Melva Buie Bearde of Church Point; son, Richard L. Bearde of Mission, Kan.; son and daughter-in-Law, Gary J. and wife Emelie Bearde of New Iberia; step-son and wife, Richard A. and Karen Buie of Lafayette; daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Edmond Stelly of Breaux Bridge; brother, Edwin "Bobby" and wife Sandy Bearb of Beaumont, Texas; brothers, Donald and wife Jan Bearb of Lafayette, Jimmy and wife Frances Bearb of Carencro and William "Billy" and wife Cindy Bearb of Carencro; grandchildren, James L. Bearde, Stacy Bearbe, Michael Bearde, Jeremy Springer, Vickie Buie, Mary Eileen Bearde, Joey Buie and Heidi Bearde; great-grandchildren, Logan, James David, Nicole, Serena, Rayven, Riley, Chloe and O'Ryan and sister, Eun Sansz of Posta Rica, Mexico.
He was preceded in death by parents, Calice Bearb and Alice Stutes Bearb; paternal grandparents, Joseph Bearb and Edmonia Chaisson Bearb; maternal grandparents, Aladin Stutes and Leah Leger Stutes and his first wife, Mary Eileen Polser Bearde.
Gossen Funeral Home, Inc. of Rayne (337) 334-3141 is in charge of the arrangements.
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