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- Obituary:
RAYNE - A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2015, 10:30 a.m., at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rayne, Louisiana, for Daniel Edison "Dan" LeLeux, who peacefully passed from this life to the next at Lafayette General Medical Center at 4:28 a.m. on January 6 in Lafayette, Louisiana. Following the Mass, interment will take place at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery #2 Mausoleum in Rayne, Louisiana.
Daniel was a descendant of Louis LeLeux who emigrated from Provence, France to New Orleans, Louisiana in the mid-1700s. Daniel was born on October 23, 1925 in LeLeux, Louisiana, the youngest of four children, to Pierre Belizaire LeLeux and Elizabeth Istre LeLeux. He was raised in LeLeux, Louisiana which was a thriving rural community between the 1920s to the 1940s located north of Kaplan, Louisiana on Hwy 13. He attended school in Kaplan, Louisiana and graduated from Kaplan High School in 1943.
After high school, Daniel enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 20, 1944 at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. After boot camp, he was assigned to General George Patton's 3rd Army in Europe with the 1123rd Engineer Combat Group. He participated in three major campaigns: The Ardennes; Rhineland; and Central Europe. Because he spoke French, his duties included performing reconnaissance missions to speak with local civilians in order to acquire information on enemy forces. As part of the 3rd Army, he participated in the liberation of Bastogne followed by spearheading into Germany bringing the European theatre of WW II to an end. As part of the advancing forces, his division also liberated Dachau, one of the Nazi Death Camps. His earned rank was Sergeant Major at the conclusion of the war. He also served during post-war occupation of Germany where he attended the War Crimes Trials in Nuremberg, Germany and later attended the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. He was discharged from the U.S. Army on May 17, 1946 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
After the war, from 1948 to 1963, Daniel worked as an executive for Sunnyland Contracting Company a large contract drilling company with their main office in Rayne, Louisiana. There he met his future wife, Kathleen Rita McBride, while working for the same company. The couple were married on December 23, 1951 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rayne, Louisiana and had three children. Daniel became president of Sunnyland Contracting Co. after the owner, Ty Treadway, was killed in a plane crash. The company was then liquidated in 1963 and Daniel purchased several of Sunnyland's drilling rigs and started his own two companies - Delmont Drilling Company and DEL Oil and Gas Corporation. In his later years, he served as Chairman of the Board of a local financial institution.
Daniel was an Honorary Member of Knights of Columbus, American Legion, DAV, VFW, Military Order of The Ardennes, and the National World War II Museum.
Daniel is survived by two children: son David Edward LeLeux of Lafayette, LA and his fiancée Kimberly Leah Williamson of Melbourne, Australia; and daughter Suzanne LeLeux Eason and her husband Paul Lee Eason both of Lafayette, LA. He is also survived by two grandsons: Ross Paul Eason of Lafayette, LA; and Zachary Marc LeLeux of Houston, TX. In addition he is survived two nephews, John Allen LeLeux of Crowley, LA and Jerry Duhon of Sulphur, LA, along with one niece Mary Ann LeLeux Earles of Youngsville, LA.
Daniel was preceded in death by his loving of 27 years, Kathleen Rita McBride who died in 1978; one daughter Lori Elizabeth LeLeux; by his parents, Pierre Belizaire LeLeux and Elizabeth Istre LeLeux, two brothers, Lionel Isadore LeLeux and Theodore Samson "Sam" LeLeux; and one sister Mabel LeLeux Duhon. He was also preceded in death by his second wife, Doris "Sara" Burlingame LeLeux.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2015, at Gossen Funeral Home in Rayne, LA from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm, with a rosary to be recited at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will continue at Gossen Funeral Home on Thursday, January 8, from 8:00 a.m. until time of service 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rayne, LA.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the American Cancer Society and/or Disabled American Veterans.
Friends may view the obituary and guest book online at www.gossenfuneralhome.net.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Gossen Funeral Home, Inc. of Rayne, LA, (337) 334-3141.
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1925 - 2015 (89 years)
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