Willis Eugene Conatser PhD

Willis Eugene Conatser, PhD, beloved husband of Marjorie Reed Conatser passed away on October 24, 2017 at Ochsner Hospital. He was the loving father of son, Kelly (wife, Dr. Leslie Blake), and daughters, Dr. Tracy Hale (husband Tim), and Dr. Shannon Pickens (husband, Richard). His grandchildren, James and Clara Conatser and Lainey, Jessie, and Ricky Pickens were the lights of his life. He cherished his brother, Ken Conatser of Youngstown, Ohio. He was predeceased by his mother, Virginia Conatser Dean and his father Dillard Conatser. Will grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and was an avid athlete. He pitched the winning State Championship game for his high school and played football there as well. He was inducted into the Price Hill, Cincinnati Hall of Fame for baseball and into the Western Hills High School Athletic Hall of Fame in Cincinnati. He entered the University of Cincinnati on a full football scholarship under coach Sid Gillman, setting a number of records, and graduated cum laude with a B.S in Geology. He served as a second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps from 1955 to 1957, playing football for the Marine Corps as well. He then returned to the University of Cincinnati for his Masters Degree in Geology. He was hired by The California Company (later Chevron) as a geologist and moved to New Orleans. During his tenure at the company he earned his Ph.D. From Tulane University. He worked at several other companies as well and then formed his own company, W E Conatser, Inc. He was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He served as President of the New Orleans Geological Society from 1997-1998. Will was an avid tennis player and continued to play in his later years. He enjoyed the comradery of his partners as much as he enjoyed the game. He played in his last match on the Saturday before his death. He loved nothing more than to attend the various musical performances, athletic events, and other activities in which his grandchildren were engaged. He was an enthusiastic traveler in his younger years and enjoyed many trips to Europe and throughout the United States. A memorial service will be held at Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home, 4747 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. with visitation prior to that from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity or to the New Orleans Geological Society. An online guestbook is available at www.leitzeaganfuneralhome.com.