George Joseph Ohmer Jr.

When George Joseph Ohmer Jr. walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who George was and how he impacted those around him. George was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if George wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. George was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

George was born on September 6, 1940 at Born at home in Dwight field, Louisiana, between Labadieville and Napoleonville, Louisiana. In Assumption Parish, Louisiana. He was the son of George Ohmer Sr., and Florence Barras Ohmer. George was raised in Labadieville, and Amelia Louisiana. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew George might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that George was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

George was raised with 5 siblings. He had 2 brothers Irring "Bozo", and Gerald, and 3 sisters Doris, Dorothy, and Mayola. George was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, George was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served George well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, George was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. George was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. George took part in baseball. In his spare time he liked fishing, hunting, and he played music in a band. George's memorable achievements included taught himself to play the guitar at 12 yrs. Old. George had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, George responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Morgan City High School in 1960. George was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. George absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For George, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered George a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was English and Literature. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mrs. Rogers.

George did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He earned his Associate's Degree in Chemical Engineering at LSU & ICS. George was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, George's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that he enjoyed virtually every class he took. George was always in quest of new things to learn and experience

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, George was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, George was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Louis Pennison, Huburt Francis, Sinclair Port, and John Richard. Later in life, he became friends with he didn't have a best friend because he thought of all of them as his best friends.

On August 21, 1958 George married Eva Mae Gaudet at Sacred Heart of Morgan City, Louisiana. George's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Eva Mae's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. George was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

George was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For George, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Ohmer home. George's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. George was blessed with five girls: Sandra, Margie, Melanie, Angele, & Sonya. They were also blessed with 17 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren, Chad, Joseph, Andrea, Brad, Michael, Jared, Christine, Derrin, Emily, Katelyn, Anthony, Hayden, Kaylee, Renee, AShley, Dustin C., Dustin G., and Cody; his great grandchildren were Tai, Laurie, Gracie, Faith, Gavin, and Elizabeth.

George was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was an Instrument Technition. He was employed 27 years at Dow Chemical. George was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. George had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. George's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because George loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were playing music, shrimping, Beagle dog hunting, raising horses, farming, and fishing. George had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, George's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

George derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, George played baseball. Recreational sports included fishing and hunting. George was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were boxing and wrestling.

Throughout his life, George was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, George seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with George usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout his later years, George was an active member of the Asscension Beagle Club.

Because George was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, he always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. George's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. George found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. George was an active member of several community groups, serving on committees for the Denham Springs HIgh School FFA. Politically, George was a conservation Republican.

George was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member St. Joseph's Catholic Church for 28 years. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, George's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included various safety awards from Dow Chemical.

George's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, George took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included Pennsylvanis, Texas, Massachusetts, and Nova Scotia.

George was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Beagle dog named Putt, and his stud quarter horse named T-Boy. His family was rounded out by his farm animals-cows, rabbits, and pigs. He loved to be self sufficent.

When George's retirement finally came in 1993, George handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for George to master. His new life involved relocating to Dow Chemical Company. In retirement, he found new pleasure in building his shrimp boat, and shrimping on the boat he built, helping friends and family members, and writing and making music. Even in retirement, George continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

George Ohmer passed away on May 11, 2010 at at his home in Chauvin, Louisiana. He fought a brave battle against lung cancer. He is survived by his wife Eva Mae Gaudet Ohmer; his five daughters Sandra, Margie, Melanie, Angele & Sonya; his son-in-laws Greg, Jeff & Homer; his grandchildren Chad, Brad, Joseph, Andrea, Jared, Christine, Emily, Derrin, Katelyn, Anthony, Hayden, Kaylee, Renee, Ashley, Dustin C., Cody, & Dustin G.; his great grandchildren are Tai, Lori, Grace, Faith, Gavin, and Elizabeth Grace. Services were held at St. Andrew Catholic Church. George was laid to rest in The St. Andrew Cemetery in Amelia, Louisiana.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to George. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to George Ohmer for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. George was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.