James André Haydel

It is with profound sadness that the family of James André Haydel announces his passing at the age of 84, on Tuesday, September 30. Born on October 10, 1940 on a plantation in Vacherie, La., James was the son of the late George Haydel, Sr. and Bessie Waguespack Haydel. He was raised in Gretna, attended Holy Name of Mary High School, where he excelled at football and was voted “Mr. Good Looks” by the student body. He attended LSUNO, then joined the Air Force for 4 years, where he was stationed in Lyon, France. While there, he was a dental assistant and traveled throughout Europe playing on the Air Force football team. When he returned home, he completed his studies at LSUNO, earning a degree in Business. James and Linda were married in 1969 at St. Francis Xavier Church – where they baptized all their children and remained devout parishioners. After college, he became a pharmaceutical salesman and was soon promoted – first to district manager, and then regional manager. He was respected by all for many reasons, but especially for his wonderful personality and unique ability to connect with people. After retiring, he devoted his time to what he loved most – being with and helping his daughters and grandchildren, whom he adored. James also loved building things from scratch and fixing anything that was broken or needed tweaking. Being one of 10 children, he learned early on to be completely self-sufficient, resourceful, and to find a way to solve any problem he encountered. He never dreamed of hiring anyone to do anything because he wanted to and was capable of doing everything himself. In the Metairie neighborhood where James lived and raised his children, it was not uncommon for the neighbors to pass by and see him completely covered in mud, paint or sawdust, high up on a ladder – replacing gutters, repairing or painting the house, or building an addition– or on his hands and knees in the dirt fixing a leak, planting flowers, cutting the grass, or trimming hedges. There was nothing he couldn’t do, and he took great pride in all the many wonderful additions and improvements he made to his home and to the homes of his children.

To say that James completely adored his daughters and grandchildren with every fiber of his being is an understatement. He would literally drop everything, unselfishly, to meet any need that his daughters, sons-in-law, or grandchildren had, including running their errands, making or fixing furniture, lovingly chauffeuring them, or preparing their favorite meals. He did not miss one of his daughters’ sporting events. He was a fierce competitor – taking videos of every volleyball, basketball and softball game, providing endless entertainment on the sidelines; pacing, smiling, and cheering.

James was an avid LSU and Saints fan, and his favorite pastime was watching these football games from the comfort of his home. He also loved to cook and was famous for many dishes, especially his fried chicken, crawfish etouffee, gumbo, beef vegetable soup and chicken stew, to name just a few.

James & Linda traveled extensively with their family – enjoying numerous trips to Europe, all the Caribbean islands, Bermuda, Mexico, Hawaii, as well as yearly visits to Disney World, the mountains, and many other states in the U.S.

James is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Linda Jackson Haydel; his daughters - Eugenie Graffagnini, Madeline Price (Chris) and Marianne Walsh (Kieran), 10 wonderful grandchildren – Marian, Madden, and Ela Graffagnini, Fulton, Marley, Hazel and Daniel Price, and Lucia, Amelia and Declan Walsh. He is also survived by his siblings – Robley Haydel (Geneva), Sylvia Holmberg (Ron), George Haydel, Jr. (Diane), Michael Haydel (Cindy), Juanita Haas, and Charles Haydel (Mary). He is preceded in death by his beloved granddaughter, Maelan Graffagnini, his brothers Rudolph, Kenneth and Edward Haydel, and his brother-in-law, Ronnie Jackson (Summer).

Family and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Celebration at St. Francis Xavier Church on Metairie Road on Monday, October 6, 2025. Visitation starts at 9:30, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30. Following the services, all are welcome to attend a celebration of the life of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend at his home on Oakridge Park in Metairie.