Thomas L. McGuire

Thomas Loudon McGuire Jr. passed away Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010, at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. He was 69 and a longtime resident of Baton Rouge. Tommy was born in Jackson, Miss., on April 29, 1941, to Thomas Loudon and Madelyn Elwell McGuire. He attended Sacred Heart Catholic School and was a 1959 graduate of Catholic High School. He also attended LSU and served as a corpsman in the U.S. Navy from 1960 to 1964. He retired from Dow Chemical Co. in 1994 after 30 years of service. Tommy was a member of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, where he served in many capacities for many years. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, serving as Past Grand Knight of Mother of Mercy Council 4030 and a charter member of St. Joseph's Cathedral Council 13632. He served as state deputy of the Knights of Columbus, Louisiana Jurisdiction, from 1986 to 1988. His most treasured honor was being knighted as a Knight of St. Gregory the Great by Pope Paul VI in 1978. Tommy is survived by his loving wife of nearly 46 years, Julia Bergeron McGuire; four children, Thomas Loudon McGuire III and wife Lori, Dr. Maria McGuire Haynes and husband Dr. Scott Haynes, Roger Emile McGuire, and Catherine McGuire Wilty and husband Roy; eight grandchildren, Ashley and Loudon McGuire, Emily, Madelyn, William and John Henry Haynes, and Powers and Patrick Wilty; brother, Michael Loudon McGuire Sr. and wife Anne; brother-in-law, Lawrence E. Bergeron Jr. and wife Joyce; and sister-in-law, Elizabeth S. Bergeron. He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother-in-law, Donald J. Bergeron Sr. Visiting at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St., on Sunday, Aug. 15, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with recitation of the rosary at 7 p.m. Visiting at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 445 Marquette Ave., on Monday, Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. until a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m., with the Rev. Vic Messina, celebrant, and concelebrated by the Rev. Matt Dupre, the Rev. Miles Walsh and the Rev. Gerard Young. Entombment in Resthaven Gardens of Memory. Pallbearers will be Michael L. McGuire Jr., Barry J. Bergeron, Lawrence E. Bergeron III, Paul A. D'Agostino, Jack E. Groner and Robert G. Ruffino. Honorary pallbearers are Donald J. Bergeron Jr., Daniel "Skip" D'Amico, Leo Segalla, Dr. Donald K. Haynes, Dean Mayers, Henry Silvio, Dr. Kevin Reed, Michael Miller and Brother Knights of the Knights of Columbus. The family wishes to thank the physicians, nurses and staff of OLOL SICU, Dr. Luke Corsten, Dr. Mary Raven and a very special thank you to Dr. Georgia Reine and her staff for 16 years of care and friendship. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 3636 S. I-10 Service Road, Suite 304, Metairie, LA, 70001, or the charity of your choice.