Alexandre ‘Alex’ Theriot Jr.

October 30, 1937 – May 24, 2015

“It is in giving that we receive,” St. Francis of Assisi. It was this belief in giving that guided Alex in life. And it is through his spirit of giving, that he asked that we celebrate his life and shed no tears after his death.

Alexandre “Doonie” Theriot Jr., 77, passed away peacefully on May 24, 2015, at his home in Denham Springs with his family by his side.
Visitation was observed at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 865 Hatchell Lane, Denham Springs, on Thursday, May 28th from 5 to 9 p.m. with Rosary at 7 p.m. and on Friday, May 29th from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian burial.
Father Frank Uter conducted the Funeral Service and served as Celebrant of the Funeral Mass along with Father Brady. His grandsons, Bennett and Alex, served as Lectors, and granddaughter Alexis sang.
Pallbearers werre his sons Andre and Ben, and grandsons Bennett, Alex, Blake and William. Honorary Pallbearers were Roy Fore Jr., Wilfred Fontenot, Dr. Ed Walker, Tommy Ott, Edwin Buford, Albert Hough, Norman Braud, Richard Blouin, Gene DeLozier, Ronnie Smith, Jimmy Willis and Charles Goodson.
A private entombment at Evergreen Memorial Park & Mausoleum for the immediate family follow the Funeral Mass. Family and friends were invited to share in a celebration of Alex’s life at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Parish Hall after the Funeral Mass.
Alex was born in St. Martinville, La., one of seven children of the late Evelyn and Alex Theriot Sr. He and his loving wife and partner of 55 years, Loretta Durand Theriot, moved to Denham Springs on January 1, 1965, where they raised their three children, daughter Aline, and two sons Andre and Ben. From early in life, Alex was filled with a determination to be successful in business. It was his determination and commitment to putting in long hours of hard work that gained him success.
He graduated from St. Martinville High School in 1955 and in 1959 graduated with a B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering from Southwestern Louisiana Institute (SLI), the present University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL). He never considered himself a great engineer or surveyor but someone who was blessed with an abundance of common sense.
Alex and Loretta had their first date on Saturday, May 2, 1953, and six years later were married; thus began their life together of family, work, challenges and a legacy of giving that improved the lives of countless people, churches, schools and organizations.
Alex was not much of a hobby person but loved work and thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment. Two words that can easily summarize his business life were “Work & Accomplishment.”
He was initially employed by the Louisiana Department of Public Works and then the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans. In January of 1965, he formed Alex Theriot Jr. & Associates. He ran a very successful business with up to 52 employees providing surveying, engineering and architectural services throughout the State of Louisiana for over 34 years. Alex sold his firm in June 1999. Like his father, he formed and invested in many different ventures including an Engineering, Architecture & Land Surveying Company, Oil & Gas Drilling, Computer Software Company, Cattle, Office Buildings, Rental Properties, Shopping Centers, a Honda Motorcycle Dealership and in raw land that was strategically located. He loved Real Estate and had a knack for investing at the right time and in the right location. He also owned and leased houses, apartments and commercial office buildings in Livingston, Tangipahoa and East Baton Rouge Parishes.
In the area of Oil & Gas, he formed and owned companies that participated in onshore and offshore drilling. For over 25 years, he was a working interest owner with PetroQuest Energy of Lafayette, La. He also co-conceived the idea of the Livingston Parish Road Overlay Program and funding.
Alex was a founding member of the Denham Springs Rotary Club in 1967 and served as President in 1969-70. In 1967, he was appointed City Engineer for Denham Springs and served continuously for over 24 years. He also served as Parish Engineer for over 20 years. In 1973-74, he served as President of the Denham Springs Chamber of Commerce. He was a co-developer of the Spring Park Plaza Shopping Center, which in 1979, was the largest private commercial development in Livingston Parish.
He was one of the founding members of Tuscaloosa Commerce Bank in 1982 and served for 14 years as Chairman of the Board until the bank was sold to Deposit Guaranty Bank in 1996. He also served on the Board of Directors for First National Bank (now Hancock/Whitney) and served on the Board of Directors of Southeast National Bank, which is now Whitney Bank.
He was commissioned by Governor Edwards in 1994 to serve on the Louisiana State Board of Commerce and Industry, and in 1995 was elected Chairman of the Board.
From 1967 to the present, Alex and Loretta have generously donated to various churches. Since prayers to St. Jude played such a large part in saving their son Ben’s life after a motor-cross racing accident in 1980, they donated the St. Jude bronze plaque that adorns the rear of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Other donations to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church include one of a kind Stations of the Cross, stained glass at the Church entrance and funds for a new and updated pavilion that is yet to be built. Alex’s firm was responsible for the donation of the church plans for the existing church. The plans, specs and construction supervision for the Church building and parking lot were done by Alex and other parishioners. In 1986, they made a sizable donation to the Oblate Fathers in memory of Brother John Keplinger. They gave the Catholic School in Louisville, Ken., equipment for the Theriot Family Media Center.
Many years ago they provided a Rushing Road building to the City of Denham Springs, at no cost to the City, so that his good friend, Mayor V. Herbert Hoover, could entice the State of Louisiana to open the first Driver’s License Renewal Office in Denham Springs. He was one of five businessmen who donated 200 acres of land in the City of Zachary and to the Baton Rouge Recreation Commission (BREC) for them to create Beaver Creek Golf Course. Alex and Loretta were also strong supporters of the Livingston Parish Children’s Choirs over the years.
In addition to being successful in his businesses, he encouraged others to succeed by his and Loretta’s numerous scholarships. They established three annual scholarships to Denham Springs High School graduates in memory of his good friends Anthony Dugas, C. Jerry Smith and Kelton Whitehead. Other scholarships were in memory and in honor of Jim and Carol Justice. In memory of Fr. Joseph Lafleur, donations were made to establish perpetual annual scholarships to three schools: Opelousas Catholic in St. Landry Parish, Mount Carmel (Abbeville) in Vermillion Parish and Sacred Heart (Ville Platte) in Evangeline Parish.
With the assistance of the Moody Foundation and the Louisiana State Board of Regents, Alex and Loretta created two endowments. In 2007, an Endowed Professorship in the College of Business ULL was established in memory of their parents (Alex & Evelyn Theriot and John & Isabelle Durand). In 2012, they created an Endowed First Generation Scholarship in the College of Business ULL in honor of their three children (Aline, Andre & Ben Theriot). In 2013, along with the Louisiana State Board of Regents, Alex and Loretta helped create an Endowed Chair in Civil Engineering ULL, which then completed all of the Colleges of Engineering with Chairs. A $1,000,000 Endowed Chair allows a university to recruit internationally for outstanding teaching and research faculty beyond the funding provided by legislative appropriation.
Alex sustained a kind and generous heart, a sense of humor and an optimistic stance throughout his life guided by his invaluable common sense, which he proudly attributed to the “genes of his Father.” His life, always supported by his wife, Loretta, is a testament to the values he kept, his deep faith in God, his determination to succeed, his love for and pride in his family and his devotion to helping others.
Alex called Loretta “the love of his life” and knew that she would always be there for him. During his battle with his cancers, he said she was “a real trooper” as she bravely stood by his side throughout it all. Alex was proud of his children and grandchildren. He always looked forward to the annual family beach trip at their beach condo in Gulf Shores as a time for sharing and making memories.
He is survived by his devoted and loving wife of 55 years, Loretta Durand Theriot; his daughter, Aline and David Ventura of Waxhaw, N.C.; two sons, Alexandre “Andre” Theriot III and wife Annette of Hammond, La., and Bennett “Ben” Theriot and wife Lynn of Louisville, Ky.; seven grandchildren, Alyssa and William Ventura, Alexis and Alex Theriot, and Bennett, Blake and Victoria Theriot; his five sisters, Gayle T. Dugas and husband Huey of Lafayette, La., Linda T. Laperouse and husband Kenneth of Breaux Bridge, La., Evelyn Theriot of New Iberia, La., Nita T. McNair and husband Bill of Sunset, La., and Connie Theriot of Knoxville, Tenn.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Alex and Evelyn Dugas Theriot; an unnamed baby brother; a nephew, Brad M. Durand; and a niece, Elizabeth K. Laperouse.
We would like to extend our sincerest and heart-felt appreciation to Dr. Edwin Walker, family friend and physician, Dr. Jay Brooks and staff and St. Joseph Hospice. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in memory of Alex be made to St. Joseph Hospice, 10615 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, or the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Building Fund, P. O. Box 1609, Denham Springs, LA 70727.