Chiasson, Percy
8/10/2011
PERCY JOHN CHIASSON
JULY 4, 1937 - AUGUST 10, 2011
Percy John Chiasson was born July 4, 1937, the first child of Fernand P. and Verna Aucoin Chiasson in Lafourche Parish and graduated from Thibodaux High. He attended LSU in Baton Rouge Louisiana where he was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. Before he completed LSU, he entered the US Army and served in Korea for two years. While in basic training he earned the Good Conduct Medal and an Expert Badge in Rifle and a Sharpshooter Badge for Carbine.
After Percy returned from Korea he was stationed in Fort Worth, Texas. In October of 1962 he married Rita Lynn Milton of Denham Springs and they made their home in Fort Worth. Percy and Rita returned to Thibodaux after he was discharged from the Army. He returned to college on the GI bill while Rita taught music at Thibodaux Junior and Senior High.
Percy then got a job with Exxon Chemical in Baton Rouge and he and Rita moved to Denham Springs. He retired from Exxon after 31 years of service.
Percy loved the outdoors and he spent his childhood fishing and hunting with his father and brother. He taught his children to fish as soon as they were old enough to sit in a boat. Also he would take his friends and their children fishing often. He also loved to shrimp and for many years provided his family, friends and neighbors with shrimp each summer.
Because of his love of nature, Percy’s favorite Scripture was Psalm 23:1-3. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me besides the still waters; he restores my soul.” He felt closer to God when he was able to be outside.
He had many hobbies and loved to build things. He learned carpentry at an early agefrom his father. He built his own house and was able to fix anything from cars to lawn mowers and he hardly ever had to call a repair man. His loved saying, “I can afford my own self.”
Percy developed kidney disease while overseas in Korea. After he returned to the states it was too late to save one of his kidneys and it was removed in 1963. He remained healthy and active until 2007 when he had to go on kidney dialysis and in January of 2011 he developed a rare blood disease. He died on August 10, 2011 at St. Joseph Hospice with his family at his bedside. He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Rev. Rita Milton Chiasson and their four children and spouses; Lisa and Mike Hanegan of Denham Springs, Louisiana, Denise and Jerald Kerby of Decatur, Alabama, Preston Chiasson of Cody, Wyoming, and Brian Chiasson of Walker, Louisiana. Percy was a grandfather and he loved his four grandchildren; Michael Hanegan, Emily Hanegan, Andrea Kerby, and Erin Kerby.
Rita Chiasson
