House Resolution 33

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MR. EDMOND ANTHONY BOUDREAUX, JR., AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, on December 22, 2019, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Mr. Edmond Anthony Boudreaux, Jr., to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Boudreaux's community lost a wonderful friend with his passing, and there is now a hush in our hearts as we come together to pay our respects to the memory of one who has been called to join that innumerable heavenly caravan; and

WHEREAS, born in Georgetown, South Carolina, on April 17, 1949, to Edmond "Ti" and Nita Mae Boudreaux, before spending the rest of his life as a member of the Biloxi community; and

WHEREAS, Edmond was many things during his life, he was a sailor in the United States Navy from 1969 to 1972, and his service included time on destroyers during the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, he was an employee of South Central Bell and then AT&T from 1973 until his retirement in 2010, and he was a devout Catholic who was an active member of St. Michael's parish in his youth, Sacred Heart (d'Iberville) during the middle of his life, and St. Mary's (Woolmarket) late in his life, and he cared deeply about helping others, and he gave much of his time and his self as an active member of many organizations and to many projects that included the Telephone Pioneers of America, the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, the Jaycees, the Knights of Columbus, Camp Bluebird, CYO leader and CCD instructor at Sacred Heart Parish, the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, and the annual cemetery tours in the Biloxi cemetery; and

WHEREAS, Edmond was twice (1999 and 2015) recognized as Biloxi's art and history volunteer of the year, he was an avocational archaeologist who served as President and Southern Vice President of the Mississippi Archaeological Association, was a leader in the association's Gulf Coast chapter, who participated in many excavations of Gulf Coast archaeological sites, a self-taught historian who was very active in the Mississippi Coast Historical and Genealogical Society and was recognized as Historian of the Year by the City of Biloxi in 1995, having written three books about Gulf Coast history ("Legends and Lore of the Mississippi Golden Gulf Coast," "Lost Biloxi," and "The Seafood Capital of the World: Biloxi's Maritime History") and a weekly newspaper column called "Gulf Coast Time Traveler"; and

WHEREAS, Edmond was a Biloxian through-and-through, and he had such a love for the Biloxi community and its past, and had built such a name for himself as a local historian that he constantly took calls at home from people asking questions about Biloxi's history. If he did not know the answer, he was always excited to dive into some research and discover something new; and

WHEREAS, Edmond's most important roles in life were as a husband, father, and grandfather, and he met the love of his life, Virginia Bertucci, when they were in high school at Notre Dame and Sacred Heart, and the two of them embarked on 50 years of marriage when they were married at St. Michael's on August 10, 1969, and they were the proud parents of three sons: Edmond III (Tony), Brandon, and Marcus, and Edmond's greatest role in life was that of "Poppa" to his nine grandchildren who he loved to the moon and back, as he was involved in all aspects of his grandchildren's lives and never missed a family event, always with a camera in his hands; and

WHEREAS, though he has traversed the river of life to reunite with those who answered God's summons to life eternal and now beckon his arrival to the celestial shores of Heaven's grandeur, preceded in death by his father, Edmond Sr., his mother Nita Mae, and his younger brother, John, the legacy of Edmond Anthony Boudreaux, Jr.'s indelible imprint upon our lives will continue to refresh the hearts and fond memories of his loved ones, including his loving wife of 50 years, Virginia; his three sons, Tony (Christy), Brandon (Heather) and Marcus (Michelle); his nine grandchildren, Anthony, Christian, Ashton, Claire Anne, Jaxson, McKenzie, John Colton, Mollie and Addie Cate; four brothers: Armond, Vincent, Damien and Marcel; two sisters, Carolyn and Kateri; and a host of cousins, in-laws, nieces and nephews; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to honor and commend the lives of outstanding Mississippians, especially those such as Mr. Edmond Anthony Boudreaux, Jr., whose dedication to others and his community brings honor to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and legacy of Mr. Edmond Anthony Boudreaux, Jr., and express deepest sympathy to his family and friends upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Mr. Edmond Anthony Boudreaux, Jr.,

and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.