Rocco J. Musemeche

God has called home one of his most faithful servants. Rocco Joame Musemeche walked through the Pearly Gates Thursday night, August 26, 2010. Rocco was born April 25, 1915. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Claire Doris, three children, five grandchildren, seven great children, and one great great grandchild.

Considered one of the foremost authorities in the field of the juvenile adventure novels and pulp fiction so popular in the early part of the twentieth century, Rocco was widely and often published nationally on a myriad of topics. He presented many topical papers and lectures at seminars around the country, serving solid research with twists of humor. His expertise was not limited to the “pulps”, however. Geography and history were his first love and he was often called upon as a source of historical and geographical information. His studies once concluded that Noah's Ark came to rest in eastern Turkey nearly 50 years before a 1990s television special broke the story. He and Doris, often with kids and grandkids in tow, traveled by train and automobile to nearly each of the United States and much of Canada and Mexico. He was a traveling ambassador for New Iberia and often distributed Iberia Parish products like Tabasco to community leaders in the locales he visited. Rocco stressed the principle of “terra firma” in explaining his refusal to fly -” The more firma, the less terra” is how he phrased it.

For more than 20 years much of the daily history of Iberia Parish was recorded by Rocco as he covered meetings of various Iberia Parish governing bodies plus sports and features for the Daily Iberian and as the area correspondent for the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, New Orleans Times Picayune, and Lafayette Daily Advertiser. His weekly column in the Iberian, “The Odds and Ends Zone” was a very popular local source of little known facts and tidbits that nicely fleshed out conventional views on a variety of topics. The Iberia Parish School Board once dedicated a page in their minutes to Rocco for his dedication and accuracy in reporting in an unbiased and fair manner.

Rocco was St Peter's Catholic Church's official representative to the Iberia Ministerial Association and played a role in preserving the Association in a trying time. In 1996, the Association honored him with the Walter J. Broussard award for his dedication and faithfulness to the organization and its purposes. Rocco served as an altar server and usher at St Peter's and was a member of the choir. Several years previous Rocco and good friend, Alvin Foreman, implemented and carried out a “Jail Service” each Sunday afternoon for those incarcerated. For more than a decade, the pair “went to jail” to share the love and forgiveness God offers through his son, Jesus.

While he made perfect grades on several history and geography classes available to him from LSU, Rocco's formal education was limited to his attendance at the old St. Peter's College and Rev. Diggs Episcopal private school. Rocco spoke only Italian when he went to St. Peter's and learned English by associating English words with the words in Italian. Rev. Diggs helped him to read and the yearn to learn took it from there. When the biography was written of his good friend, Theodore Roscoe – who penned the official history of the US Navy in World War II as well as being a noted novelist – Rocco was asked to do the foreword.

Rocco volunteered for the US Navy in World War II and after a medical discharge built Higgins PT boats in a New Orleans shipyard. After the war, Rocco drove “Big Blue” as a magazine distributor for the New Orleans News Company. Rocco and Doris moved back to New Iberia in 1950 and opened Roc's Cupboard Grocery on Main Street. It was the city's first convenience store, opened 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week at a time when 9 to 5 and closed on Sundays was the norm. Rocco would later work as a paint salesman for Roy Romero for several years and covered Southwest Louisiana as an advertising salesman for the Catholic Diocesan newspaper. He retired to devote more time to his writing, church work, and helping with publicity for the New Iberia Community Concert Association and the Delcambre Shrimp Festival. Though considerably slowed physically by injuries suffered in a fall several years ago, Rocco kept mentally sharp through reading. In addition to a love for good music Rocco was a huge sports fan, especially - but not limited to - LSU football and baseball.

Rocco is survived by Doris ,who was herself remarkable in her love and devotion in the final days; one son, John and wife Rita Glade of Baton Rouge; and two daughters, Diane Ellen Hearn and husband, Jim of New Iberia and Margaret Marie of Youngsville. Rocco and Doris have five grandchildren including, Rob Joame and wife Monica and Barry Patrick and wife Karon both of Baton Rouge, Greg of Shreveport, Leah Hearn Touchet and husband Glen of New Iberia, and Elizabeth Hearn Cosker and husband John of Seattle, Washington. In addition, the couple have seven great-grandchildren, Brett, Trey, Maci, Tyler, and Maxx Musemeche all of Baton Rouge, and Taylor Leigh and Morgan Alexis Touchet of New Iberia; and one great-great grandchild, Connor James Musemeche of Baton Rouge.

Rocco was the oldest of five sons of the late John and Concetta Musemeche. His brother, Vincent of New Iberia, preceded him in death. Rocco is survived by three brothers, John Jr. of Lafayette, Charlie of Houma, and Richard of Houston, Texas.

Rocco's final visit to St. Peter's will be a testament to his strong sense of family. His pallbearers will be son-in-law, Jim Hearn, grandsons, Rob and Barry Musemeche and Greg Hearn, grandson-in-law, Glen Touchet, and great grandsons, Trey, Tyler, and Maxx Musemeche. Great granddaughter, Taylor Touchet, will do a reading.

Honorary pallbearers include Pvt. Thibeau Corday (FFL), Lord Greystroke, Don Sturdy, the Rover Boys – Dick, Sam, and the fun loving Tom, Jerry Todd, Poppy Ott, Lester Leith, Tom Swift, John Carter, and Pee Wee Harris. An honor guard comprised of cadets from Putnam and Colby Halls will be commanded by Captain John Putnam aboard Comanche.

The family would like to express appreciation to Father Charles Langlois of St Peter's and Rev. Scott Bullock of New Iberia First Methodist, the physicians (especially Dr. Robert Hankenhof and Dr. Richard Abben of Houma) and staff at Iberia Medical Center and a special thanks to Rocco's caregivers at home, Carol Cormier and Kim Boutte, who are a credit to their chosen task.

Memorial contributions may be made in Mr. Musemeches name to the Iberia Parish Library, 445 E. Main Street, New Iberia, LA 70560 (337) 364-7150.

Visiting hours will be held at Evangeline Funeral Home of New Iberia on Sunday from 1:00 pm until 8:00 pm with the Rosary recited at 6:00 pm. The funeral home will reopen Monday from 8:00 am until service. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Peter’s Catholic Church at 2:00 pm on Monday August 30, 2010 with Fr. Charles Langlois officiating. Interment will follow in the family plot at Memorial Park Cemetery on West Admiral Doyle Drive.

To view the online obituary and sign the guestbook, please visit www.evangelinefuneralhome.com

Evangeline Funeral Home of New Iberia (337) 364-1881 is in charge of arrangements.