COTEAU HOLMES— Funeral services will be conducted for Lloyd J. Berard Sr., 90, at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Coteau Holmes. Interment will follow in St. Elizabeth’s Cemetery.

Visiting hours will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at the funeral home.  Visitation will continue Sunday from 7 a.m. until time of service.

A native and resident of Coteau Holmes, Mr. Berard died Thursday, May 1, 2008 at his residence at 8:30 a.m.  following a lengthy illness.  

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In his 90-plus years, “Mr. Lloyd” lived his life to the fullest.  As a young man, he worked on the Panama Canal.  Although not drafted due to asthma, he volunteered for the Army and helped prepare the English Channel for the D-Day Invasion, later surviving being run over by a German half-track in France during World War II. Mr. Berard was awarded a Bronze Service Star for his services during the European African Middle Eastern Campaign. He was featured in To Honor Our Veterans, an oral history of World War II Veterans from the Bayou Country, written by Jason P. Theriot. He used the GI Bill to learn the air conditioning trade, building a successful repair business which he used to clothe and feed his nine children.  He also was a founding member of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church.Upon retirement, he stayed busy crawfishing, growing vegetables in his garden and dancing at Mulatte’s and Pancho Villa.  

His favorite supper was “23 pretzels and a couple of beers.” His favorite pastimes included dancing, reading, playing guitar, telling jokes, growing his garden and boiling crawfish. He was known to always have a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes.

Lloyd was a selfless husband and father who also served others as a cashier for the St. Martin Parish Food Stamp Program, a member of the Selective Service System, a director for the Teche Electric Cooperative in Jeanerette and an active member of the St. Martinville chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, the Disabled Veterans of America and the Coteau Holmes Volunteer Fire Department.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Clelie “Mary” Broussard Berard; children, Michael Berard and wife Shirley of Youngsville, Mary “Anne” Breaux and husband Russell of Bayou L’Ourse, Regina Douet and husband Lee of Dallas, Texas, Renee Bulliard of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Lloyd Berard Jr. of Coteau Holmes and companion Patsy Angelle, Mark Berard and wife Claudette of Loreauville, Stanley Berard and wife Brooke Harlowe of Lock Haven, Pa. and Amy Gaudet and husband Chad of Loreauville; 14 grandchildren; six great- grandchildren and a brother, Stanley Berard of Luling.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Zachary and Regina Dugas Berard; sisters Eunice Groh, Martha Berard and Thelma Fournet; brothers Vindex and Zachary “Tye” Berard  and son, Peter Berard.

Pallbearers will be Michael, Lloyd Jr., Mark and Stanley Berard, Chad Gaudet, John Douet, Yohannes Berard and Joshua Breaux.  

Honorary pallbearers will be Russell Breaux, Lee Douet, Rusty Breaux, Russell Latiolais and Rob Hollerbach.

To view online obituary, video tribute, and sign the guest registry, please visit www.pellerinfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Coteau Holmes.

Pellerin Funeral Home of St. Martinville is in charge of the arrangements.