Boris Francis Navratil

Boris Francis Navratil entered into eternal rest on December 8, 2023 following an automobile accident. Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia on November 26, 1927 to Jindra (Holub) and Francicek Xavier Navratil, he and his family moved to Stuttgart, Germany where he resided for the first five years of his life during which he acquired a facility with German. This marked the beginning of his acquisition of several languages, including classic Greek and Latin, that he readily drew upon as an attorney with international clients, and throughout a lifetime of travel with his wife, family and friends.

The family returned to Czechoslovakia before the onset of World War II. Boris spent his early teen years supporting the Czech resistance with weapons and materiel he retrieved from skirmishes in the area. Immediately after the war he infuriated his mother by volunteering for the bomb disposal squad tasked with the removal of unexploded ordinance in and around the capital city. She was somewhat mollified when he once brought home a large wheel of cheese as a gift from a grateful farmer. He was awarded a Scout Cross Pro Patria for his service.

During the war he had developed an affection for the sound of the English language and subsequently attended a summer school in England prior to beginning his studies in law at the historic Charles University in Prague. With the communist coup d’etat of 1948, the borders were closed and Boris was expelled from the university. With that, he and another student rafted crossed the Danube under cover of darkness and gained political asylum in Austria from which he was evacuated to England. There he enrolled in French classes at the London Polytechnic where he met Constance Parr who would become his devoted wife for 62 years. Their courtship was interrupted when the Masaryk Institute, a relief organization for Czech refugees, sent him on a scholarship to LSU in 1949. In time, he proposed over a long-distance phone call and Constance followed him to America where they were married in New Orleans on October 31, 1952. They settled in Baton Rouge where they raised their four children.

Boris received his Bachelor of Laws degree from LSU in 1955 and, as his refugee status precluded him from sitting for the bar, found work as an insurance adjuster. A special act of Congress cleared the impediments and in 1958 he was naturalized and also admitted to the Louisiana bar. He was particularly proud of being admitted to the United States Supreme Court and the friendship he struck up with Justice Scalia. In due course, he joined the law firm of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson where he practiced until 1989. He continued his practice with Navratil, Hardy & Bourgeois until his retirement in 2005.

In addition to his career, he led an active personal life. He loved architecture and woodworking and his and Connie’s home reflected that. They enjoyed entertaining friends in their home with its ‘Pub’: ‘The Lord Nelson’. Boris enjoyed skiing, sailing and visiting with his family, sharing a duck hunting lease with friends; and traveling extensively with his wife. They were avid supporters of the Baton Rouge Symphony and many other music and arts programs.

Boris is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, his brother Jiri Navratil and his eldest son John Navratil. He is survived by daughter-in-law Peggy Navratil; daughter Juliette Dauterive; two sons and their wives: Philip and Michele Navratil, and Peter and Annie Hanaway; and grandchildren Oliver and Alexandra Navratil, Robert Navratil, Davia Dauterive, and William and Robin Hanaway. He also leaves behind his dear companion Nadia Navratilova, extended family in Prague and Scotland and numerous friends and neighbors who provided so much joy and support in recent years. The family will hold an open house reminiscence at 1:00PM on January 27, 2024 at his residence: 658 Nelson Drive, Baton Rouge.