Cheryl Melancon Gonsoulin

New Iberia – A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Cheryl M. Gonsoulin, 68, at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 6, 2017, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Rev. Mark Derise and Deacon Durk Viator were the Celebrants. Interment followed in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Scriptures were read by Claudia Geoffroy, and gifts presented by granddaughters Chelsey Landry and Lauren and Amanda Gonsoulin. Eucharistic Minister was Greg Robicheaux, and the Eulogy wase read by Beau Laviolette.
A gathering for family and friends was held at Pellerin Funeral Home in New Iberia on Thursday from 5-9 p.m. with Recitation of the Rosary at 7 p.m. led by her nephew, Shawn Hulin. Visitation continued Friday from 8-9:30 a.m.
Cheryl was born October 13, 1948, to the late Stanley and Della Vaughn Melancon of Catahoula. She was a longtime resident of New Iberia and passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. We lost the comfort of Cheryl’s presence, but she will forever remain the heart and glue of this family. We love her endlessly and will never know anyone more inspiring or full of life. We want to express our gratitude to those who moved and inspired her along the way; the support and prayers touched our entire family.
Initially diagnosed January 2012, she fought this terrible, ravaging disease with enormous grace, courage, and dignity. She was out to live every single day to its fullest with all the energy and grace that she could. Through all that she endured, she revealed a kind of fortitude and grace that will long remain an inspiration. There were times she wasn’t able to muster as much strength and patience she would have liked, which is human. She found that the simple act of living was through hope and faith, in a daily effort to have a positive impact on those around her, making the days she did all the more meaningful and precious. Her greatest comfort came from her grandchildren. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend.
Cheryl was a member of the Louisiana Farm Bureau women’s committee. She served first on the parish level as chairman then moved on to district director and then third vice chairman on the state level. She served many capacities in Farm Bureau but most enjoyed her work with commodity promotion. She was a past board member of the La Sugarcane Festival; a project she truly enjoyed. She is also a past board member of the Louisiana Airport Authority.
After her children got older she got involved in aviation. It wasn’t common for a 30-something-year-old-lady to start flying but she did and did it with a vengeance and love for flying. Her most enjoyable stories to the grandkids is that she was able to help rebuild an airplane. That was one of her greatest accomplishments. She and Ronnie enjoyed traveling, entertaining, and pickleball. In her spare time she developed a passion for orchids which she shared with her late mother in law. She loved her orchids and accumulated over 150 plants of various varieties which fill her greenhouse built by her husband. She was a member of the Orchid Club and shared her creations with many over the years.
Cheryl’s Aviation Career Accomplishments: FAA ground school and flight instructor as well as certified FAA examiner and check pilot. Her FAA licenses include commercial pilot with both single and multi-engine ratings, along with an instrument rating, a seaplane rating (making her one of very few women who are licensed to fly seaplanes). During her long and highly successful aviation career, which began in 1985, Cheryl also served as chief pilot for Pelican Aviation in New Iberia. Cheryl was a member of the National Assn. of Female Executives and a member of ‘The 99’s,” an exclusive all female group of experienced pilots, named for the original first federally licensed 99 lady pilots. Perhaps most notable, she was issued a commercial pilots license by the Federal Republic of Germany. Cheryl’s aviation career, spanning more than 30 years, was filled with, as pilots often say, hours of safe and complete boredom, interrupted at times by moments of stark terror. Nevertheless, Cheryl truly enjoyed her every moment in the air.
(The above Tribute was written by a very dear, longtime friend and flying companion of hers, Mr. Bud Forrest.)
Left to cherish her memory is her husband of 49 years, Ronald Gonsoulin; son, Keven and wife Dawn Gonsoulin; daughter, Rochelle Gonsoulin; six grandchildren, Blake, Taylor, Lauren, and Amanda Gonsoulin, and Chelsey and Tyler Landry; two sisters, Peggy Hulin and Renetta (Mike) Laviolette; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Charlene Melancon; and two godchildren, Donna Hulin and Rodney Gonsoulin.
Pallbearers were Blake and Taylor Gonsoulin, Tyler Landry, Beau Laviolette, and Clayt and Shawn Hulin.
The family wishes to thank Dr. John Allredge, Dr. Janice Nugent, and the entire head and neck division of MD Anderson Cancer Center, especially Drs. Hanna and Williams, not only for their expertise, but for their compassion and devotion to her care. We would like to also give a special thanks to Theresa Chargois who helped over the years, as well as Heart of Hospice, and friends who helped.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church Building Fund or Catholic High School in New Iberia.
Pellerin Funeral Home of New Iberia was in charge of the arrangements.