Linda Ann Chauvin "Lovie" Hicks

"Linda Ann Chauvin Hicks, known to her children, family and friends and two wonderful grandsons as Lovie, a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend, passed away at her home in Baton Rouge Monday, April 29, 2019 surrounded by her husband, daughter and son, two sisters and her lifelong friend, Joann Dodd, after a courageous battle with acute myeloid leukemia. She fought the battle that began December 8, 2017 for one year, 4 months and 22 days. Linda was born January 29, 1948, in New Roads, Louisiana to Sidney and Lottie Belle Chauvin and lived in Erwinville, Louisiana until she was married November 22, 1969 to Steve E. Hicks of Baton Rouge at which time she and Steve began their life together in Baton Rouge near the north gates of LSU while Steve was attending LSU Law School. November 22 of this year would have been their 50th anniversary. Linda and Steve were members of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, Baton Rouge. From 1967 "“ 1973, Linda was employed at Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smithstockbrokerage in Baton Rouge where she and Steve met. Following this brief time working outside the home, Linda dedicated herself for the rest of her life to working in the home and caring for her children, Allyson and Christopher, and eventually her amazing grandsons, Mason and Cooper. Linda was one of five children born to her parents who preceded her in death. She also survived her brother (Sidney T. Chauvin) and sister (Faye Chauvin Moore) who preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband, Steve, her daughter, Allyson Christin Hicks of Baton Rouge, and her son, Christopher Chauvin Hicks of Raleigh, North Carolina; her two wonderful grandsons, Mason Thomas Melancon, and Cooper Sheldon Hicks who she loves to the moon and back; her sisters, Johnnie Belle Chauvin Flynn, and Suzette Chauvin Lowe, both of Baton Rouge; three brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law (Kerry and Nancy Hicks, Central, LA; Wayne and Gwen Hicks, Baker, LA; and Donovan and Michelle Hicks, Baton Rouge) and numerous nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. In Linda's words, she was born to be and cherished her life as a mother, a grandmother, a wife and a friend. She excelled at all four beyond any words of praise. With an infectious laugh and smile that endeared her to so many, she was happiest when she was with her family, especially Allyson and Mason and Christopher and Cooper. Her greatest pleasure in life was in spending time with Mason and Cooper whether in her kitchen baking cookies, making ginger bread houses or around the swimming pool at her home or on a soccer or baseball field or a basketball court. She was known by her friends, Allyson's and Christopher's friends and many parents attending U-Hi football games as "Psycho Fan" for her yelling and screaming at the refs and the opposing teams, a unique skill she developed in her earlier years as a cheerleader at Port Allen High School or when attending Chris' baseball games at CYO. She loved college football, especially the LSU Tigers and the games in Tiger Stadium or watching the games with friends at their home or her home. When at home she enjoyed working in her yard or bossing around the men who helped in caring for her yard because it had to be as perfect as possible. During Allyson's and Christopher's high school years, her home was the go-to home for their friends, a safe and caring place for them to be during these years. In later life she enjoyed the opportunity to assist Steve in the very early years when Provident Resources Group began business in 1999. She especially enjoyed assisting her daughter, Allyson, any way she could whether at Allyson's home, caring for Mason, running errands for Allyson or assisting with her interior design business. She was also grateful to see Christopher join Steve as a senior executive at Provident after a successful 18 years with a national investment banking firm in New York. Visitation will be at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 445 Marquette Avenue, Baton Rouge, from 8:30 am "“ 10:30 am on Friday, May 3, 2019 until Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 am, concelebrated by Father Cleo Milano and Father Miles Walsh. The Hicks family wishes to express their gratitude to the amazing physicians, assistants, nurses and aids in the Leukemia Department at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, and especially Dr. Elias Jabbour (and his team of Kelsey Moakler, PA, and Lucy Paterson, RN) whose care and compassion for Linda from December 14, 2017 until his last visit with Linda on Friday April 26, 2019 was so comforting to Linda and our family. In the words of Dr. Jabbour a few hours after Linda's passing, he noted to the family that Linda was a true hero; he said he learned so much from Lovie, her courage, her tenacity and her love of life. We also wish to thank all the wonderful nurses and technicians at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center for their care of Linda during those brief times she was in Baton Rouge during her battle with cancer, as well as the entire Amedisys Hospice team that cared for Linda in her final three days at home. The family wishes to thank "Linda's Friends" who kept up with the updates Steve provided to them as she battled cancer and all who sent so many prayers and good thoughts her way. Finally, the family also wishes to thank those friends who traveled to Houston to visit Linda and Steve during Linda's fight against cancer. Linda and her family would be most appreciative for any and all memorial donations to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Emory Proton Therapy Center, Atlanta, GA, or the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. The family has entrusted Linda's final arrangements to Rabenhorst Funeral Home and Crematory, 825 Government St., Baton Rouge LA., 225-383-6831; www.rabenhorst.com.