Judy Derouen Koonce

"Judy Derouen Koonce, age 78, of Baton Rouge, passed away Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Judy was born August 26, 1941 in New Iberia, daughter of the late Julius Derouen and Audrey Stark.  She was preceded in death by her sister Nancy Derouen.  Judy is survived by her husband of 57 years: Kenneth Koonce; three sons and two daughters-in-law:  Steven Koonce, David & Elizabeth Koonce, and William & Denee Koonce; four grandchildren: Caroline, Bozeman, Aaron and Wesley Koonce; and brother, sister-in law and nephew: Marc, Patou & Sean Derouen. Judy was a long-time active member of St. John's United Methodist Church and remained a member of its original Founders Sunday School class for over 50 years. She was an active leader in numerous church and community organizations, including United Methodist Women and the Campus Club. In her youth, Judy grew up in a tight-knit community with many cousins and friends in New Iberia. She remained very close to members of her fifth grade class and continued to meet with them periodically for reunions. Following New Iberia High School graduation, she earned bachelor's degrees from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in both education and English in 3 years. While at USL, she met the love of her life, Kenneth Koonce, and embarked upon a long and loving journey together. Kenneth and Judy were married following their graduation on August 18, 1962, moving to Baton Rouge and later to Raleigh, NC, where Kenneth pursued graduate degrees at LSU and North Carolina State, while Judy began her career as a school librarian. While in Raleigh, Judy and Kenneth began their family with the births of their first two sons Steven and David. After Kenneth completed his PhD at NC State, the family moved back home to Louisiana where Kenneth joined the LSU faculty. The couple spent the rest of their lives building a large circle of friendships throughout the LSU and Baton Rouge communities. They added a third son, William, to complete their family. Judy was a lifelong lover of books and pursued a Master's degree in Library Science at LSU.  Following her degree, she was school librarian at both Trafton Academy and Wildwood Elementary until her retirement. Judy was a devoted mother and grandmother, always putting her children and grandchildren first; she made it a priority to travel to Texas and Ohio to be there for her grandchildren's plays and special moments. . She was known to spend days preparing for holiday gatherings and meals for the family and cherished these times together.  Her kindness and devotion to serving and supporting her family were hallmarks of what defined Judy.  Indeed, she wrote a weekly letter to her children and grandchildren for almost thirty years, chronicling what was happening in her and Kenneth's daily lives. Throughout her life, Judy pursued many passions and hobbies including art, cooking, gardening, genealogy, travel and LSU sports. She and Kenneth have been faithful season ticket holders of LSU football and basketball throughout their 50+ years in Baton Rouge. Judy continued to develop and grow as an artist over her life, painting numerous oil and acrylic paintings displayed in her home and shared with friends and family. She loved to travel around the country and world with Kenneth and had many adventures throughout North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia.  Her extensive research of family genealogy culminated in a bound book given to her sons with many lineages extending back greater than 1000 years. Judy will be most remembered for her kindness and generosity to others. She was always willing to support and help people in any way she could and will be greatly missed by her family and friends. A small graveside service for immediate family will be held next week, followed by a future larger memorial service when possible.