Curtis Varnado

Curtis A. Varnado, 79, a resident of Watson, journeyed to his heavenly home on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, while holding hands with his beloved wife of 55 years, his daughter, and his younger brother.

Coach Varnado was incredibly devoted to his wife, Ida’lie, his daughter, Stacey, and his beloved granddaughters, Sloane and Skylar.  A native of Hammond, he graduated from Hammond High School in 1960 and played football at Southern Mississippi University and Southeastern Louisiana University, where he was a member of a conference championship squad.  He received his masters degree in educational administration from LSU in 1982. Coach Varnado’s passion, besides his family, was his 40-year career, as a dedicated educator, performing duties as a football coach and athletic director, an American history teacher, and assistant principal.

He is survived by his wife, Ida’lie Pennison Varnado, formerly of New Roads; his daughter, Stacey Varnado O’Mahony of Plano, Texas; his granddaughters, Sloane Elizabeth Meziere O’Mahony and Skylar Elyse Walker O’Mahony; his son-in-law, Sean F. O’Mahony; his sister, Brenda Neal, and his brothers, Johnny, David, and Gerald Varnado; his brothers-in-law, Tony and Eugene Pennison, and sisters-in-law, Virginia Pennison, Joanne Pennison, Stacy Varnado, and Lisa Varnado, along with a host of nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Alvie Curtis Varnado and Gracie Johnson Varnado and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ernest A. Pennison and Durene Walker Pennison.

Celebration of Life services will be held on Wednesday, March 30th at Resthaven Gardens of Memory at 11817 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge. Visitation will be held from 12-2 p.m. with funeral services beginning at 2 p.m. Burial will take place at Resthaven Gardens of Memory Cemetery immediately following.

Pallbearers will be Coach Varnado’s former football players: Terry Hobbins, Bruce Bass, Wayne Delapasse, Randy Gay, John Jarrell, and Darius Matthews, Sr.  Honorary pallbearers are all of Coach’s former players from E.J. Gay Junior High, St. Theresa, Central Private, Port Allen, Brusly, Catholic High of Baton Rouge, Albany, Clinton, Denham Springs, and Live Oak.

The family of Curtis Varnado would like to thank the first responders from the Watson fire department, the chaplain, emergency room and ICU staffs from Ochsner Hospital of Baton Rouge, their extended family and friends who sat beside them and Coach at the ICU, and the Velma Williams family with whom they bonded in the ICU waiting room.