Mr. James Joseph Lea

NEW IBERIA – A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted for James “Jimmy” Joseph Lea, age 78, at 2:00pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Fr. Charles Langlois will be the celebrant for the services. Interment will follow at St. Peter’s Cemetery with Military Graveside services conducted by the VFW Post #1982 Honor Guard.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Wednesday with a Rosary at 6:30 pm. The funeral home will reopen at 1:00 pm on Thursday until service time.

A native and resident of New Iberia, Mr. Lea entered his eternal life at 7:09 pm on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at Cornerstone Village South. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death.

A lifetime resident of New Iberia, Jimmy enjoyed a full and productive life. He served in the Army and was a member of Company D, 46th Armored Infantry Battalion, receiving an honorable discharge. He enjoyed a long career as an educator in the New Iberia School District until his retirement. He earned a BA in American History and being a Master Teacher a Master Degree in Education from University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He served a short time as a vice principal lamenting at the time that he missed the classroom. Many of his students remember him fondly as their best teacher ever. One of his students said that “Mr. Lea inspired me in my decision to become an attorney and he always spoke to me as if we were intellectual equals. That was

extraordinary.”

In September of 1966, he was nominated to the Louisiana State Board of Health’s Life Saver Honor roll. He was added to the list of courageous men and women who had saved lives through mouth to mouth rescue breathing. Noteworthy is the fact that he entered 6 feet of muddy water to save a young boy in spite of the fact that he could not swim and was known to be afraid of deep water.

His hobbies included sports, coin collection and growing roses. Included were Chicago Peace, Tropicana, Oklahoma and his favorite, Sunshine Yellow. He loved to play dominoes with his friends at the Sports Center.

He was a lifetime member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. His favorite charities included the church; St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, the Carmelite Nuns and was also a child sponsor to Compassion International.

He is survived by his sister, Virginia Gore and husband Ed of New Iberia; brother, Jack Lamperez and wife Bessie of West Chester, PA; nephews, Ed Gore and wife Melanie of Lafayette; Christopher Gore of New Iberia; nieces, Lisa Acquazino and husband Jay of Youngsville; Kathleen Lamperez of New York, NY; children, Mary Juliane Autery of Mandeville; Fernand Paul Autery and Katie Autery Olson of Victoria, TX; grandchildren, Amber Rose Autery, James Leonard Vallot, Emily Bodin, Ben Joseph Olson, Katherine Olson Hamm, Erin Leigh Olson and George Thomas Olson and five great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his mother Virginia Drago Knauth, his father, Wesley Lea; his beloved aunt, Theresa Mestayer and one grandchild, Christopher Bodin.

Special thanks to those who lovingly cared for him at Cornerstone South in Lafayette. The Family also expresses deep gratitude to Hospice of Acadiana for their kind, supportive roll at the end of Jimmy’s long illness.

To view on-line obituary, and sign the guest register, please visit www.evangelinefuneralhome.com.

Evangeline Funeral Homes, Inc. of New Iberia is in charge of arrangements.