Baker Guilbeau

Baker Joseph Guilbeau,
devoted father, grandfather and great grandfather, retired safety engineer for Shell Oil Company based out of New Orleans and member of The Greatest Generation as a radiotop turret gunner on B24 Liberator in World War II, died Dec. 27 in Baton Rouge after a brief illness. He was 96. The son of Dr. Ben Guilbeau was born in 1918 and grew up in the Sunset area in a house that remains on Prairie Basse. He rode a feisty, chestnut colored Mustang named Starlight to school in the morning and napped atop it on the way home as it knew the way so well. He played on the 1936 Sunset High basketball district champions and graduated in 1947 from the University of LouisianaLafayette then Southwestern Louisiana Institute or SLI with an agriculture degree after serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps now Air Force from 194145. He met his wife, Carmen LeBleu of Fenton, while in college. The couple married in 1950, honeymooned in Galveston, Texas, and celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary last June. Guilbeau taught school briefly at Slidell High before starting with Shell as a roustabout in Orange, Texas, and later moving up to safety engineer in New Orleans. Guilbeau taught safety and life saving techniques to Shell employees for work on oil platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. He raised a daughter and three sons along with vegetables, particularly tomatoes, in his backyard garden in Metairie. An original New Orleans Saints season ticket holder in 1967, he cussed and cheered the Saints and Houston Astros during their struggling years, but his passion was listening to LSU football games on WWL Radio on Saturday nights on his back patio while barbecuing chicken. He could cook with any Cajun, and he loved watching any activity his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were up to, particularly sports. Upon retirement from Shell after 34 years in 1985, he and his wife Carmen vacationed in Ireland, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Greece, Italy, Belgium and France and cruised the Caribbean. He ventured to Omaha, Neb., in 2003 to watch LSU at the College World Series. He survived three brain surgeries in 2005 for subdural hematoma from a car accident, exiting the hospital and leaving the city a day before Katrina. In 2006, the couple then moved to Baton Rouge. He kept gardening and walking and attended LSU basketball and baseball games in his final years. On Sept. 22, 2013, a standing room only crowd of relatives and friends attended his 95th birthday in Baton Rouge. He said he wanted to make it to 100. Many thanks to his chief caregiver Barbara Tousant for her years by his side. The Hospice of Baton Rouge, Jenns Angels sitters along with Barbara, family friend Diania Bordelon Laubacher, his wife and family made his final days as pleasant as could be. He spent his final nights and last moments as he did those youthful ones in the late 1940s in southwest Louisiana holding hands with sweetheart Carmen LeBleu. Veteran: U.S. Army Air Corp later Air Force, from 194145, sergeant, radiogunner on B24 in World War II in Europe. Awarded Air Medal for antisubmarine patrol flights made under hazardous flying conditions in the Bay of Biscay.

Visitation: Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, Friday, Jan. 2, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with rosary at 7 p.m., followed by eulogies and remembrances. Also on Saturday, Jan. 3, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Religious Service: Mass at Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 15615 Jefferson Highway on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 10 a.m. Conducted by Philip Spano. Burial at LeBleu Cemetery in Fenton at 3 p.m., Jan. 3.

SURVIVORS: Wife: Carmen LeBleu Guilbeau of Fenton. Daughter: Deborah Anne Guilbeau of Baton Rouge. Sons: Joseph Baker Guilbeau of Metairie. Kevin Paul Guilbeau of Houston. Glenn Michael Guilbeau of Baton Rouge. Sisters: Jeanne Miller of Lake Charles, Alida Martin of Franklin. Brother: Dr. Ben Guilbeau of Lake Charles. DaughtersInLaw: Kathy Moran Guilbeau, Jennifer Williams Guilbeau, Michelle Millhollon Guilbeau. Former in laws: Nancy Wiltz Guilbeau. Ralph Thibodeaux deceased. Grandchildren 7: Katherine Thibodeaux Cancienne husband Clifford William Cancienne, Joshua Paul Guilbeau, Kristen Renee Guilbeau, Yvette Nicole Guilbeau, Jeffrey Michael Guilbeau, Ryan Joseph Guilbeau, Caleb Paul Guilbeau.

Great Grandchildren 3: Dominick William Cancienne, Matthew Joseph Cancienne, Abigail Therese Cancienne.

Preceded in Death By: His father, Dr. Ben Guilbeau of Sunset, his mother, Edmie Broussard Guilbeau of Carencro, his stepmother Natolia Castille Guilbeau of Sunset, sisters Wilhelmina Guilbeau Savoie, Corrine Guilbeau Hooter and Sally Guilbeau Splane.

Pallbearers: Joseph Guilbeau, Kevin Guilbeau, Glenn Guilbeau, Greg Scott, Earl Savoie Jr., William Cancienne, Joshua Guilbeau, Jeffrey Guilbeau. Honorary Pallbearers: Ben Guilbeau, Andre Miller, Ryan Guilbeau, Caleb Guilbeau.

Educational Background: University of LouisianaLafayette, Sunset High School. Career: Safety engineer, 34 years at Shell Oil. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to www.stjude.org andor www.woundedwarriorproject.org.Guilbeau.

Visitation

Resthaven Funeral Home
11817 Jefferson Highway
Baton Rouge, LA  70816
Friday, January 2, 2015
6:00 pm 9:00 pm

Service

Visitation

Resthaven Funeral Home
11817 Jefferson Highway
Baton Rouge, LA  70817
Saturday, January 3, 2015
8:30 am 9:30am

Mass of Christian Burial

Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
15615 Jefferson Hwy
Baton Rouge, LA  70816
Saturday, January 3, 2015
10:00 am.

Cemetery

LeBleu Cemetery
Cemetery Road
Fenton, LA  70640