Donald Gaudet

Donald “Dale” Gaudet died on July 29, 2019. He was born in 1935, was a graduate of Cathedral High School in Lafayette and earned a BS degree from Louisiana State University. He was commissioned as a U.S. Army Infantry officer in 1957 and served in various training, command and staff positions including commander of a Special Forces (Green Berets) detachment of the LA Army National Guard and as the commandant of the 4157th U.S. Army Reserve School. He retired as a colonel in 1985.

Following several years as a commercial loan officer, Dale was appointed as the president and chief executive officer of a financially troubled bank in 1988. He began an intensive program of rehabilitation resulting in the bank’s return to profitability, restoration of capital and resumption of shareholder dividends. In the year 2000 he negotiated the favorable sale of the bank to a large regional bank and after a short period of retirement, he organized and established another bank which he managed until his second retirement in 2003. During retirement he authored a weekly business column for a local newspaper, conducted small business seminars and flew more than 50 missions as an Angel Flight pilot providing cost free transportation for patients to area medical treatment facilities.

Dale is survived by his wife of 62 years, the former Patricia Adams also of Lafayette; three sons, Karl and wife Patty Lou of Baton Rouge, Glenn of Baton Rouge and Richard who lives in Atlanta; his grandchildren, Michelle Frost and husband Whit from Woodstock, GA, Kristopher Gaudet of Woodstock, GA, Megan Hale and husband David of Marietta, GA, Mariah Gaudet and Addie Gaudet of Atlanta; his great-grandchildren, Cayden R. Clendenin, David Brooks Frost of Woodstock, GA, and David Calder Hale of Marietta, GA.

The family will receive guests on August 3, 2019 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Resthaven Funeral Home on Jefferson Hwy in Baton Rouge. A Catholic funeral service in the Resthaven chapel will be celebrated following the visitation period at 12:00pm. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Lafayette at 3:00 pm.

Contributions to St. Vincent de Paul (225 383 7837), Guiding Eyes for the Blind (800 942 0149) and Wounded Warrior Project (855 448 3997) in lieu of flowers will be appreciated.