Ike Joseph Dugas

Ike Joseph Dugas, 102 years old, peacefully departed this life Friday, January 8, 2016. He was born June 21, 1913, in White Castle, LA, and was a longtime resident of Baton Rouge, a veteran of World War II and a Shell Oil Company retiree with 39 years of service. He was predeceased in death by the love of his life, Una Gonzales Dugas, his parents, Simon Joseph Dugas and Ida Landry Dugas; brothers, Phillip, Jesse, Albert, Ray and Richard; sisters Bessie Leonard, Delpha Dugas, Adeline Ramirez and Doris Falcon. He is survived by dozens of loving and devoted nieces and nephews, all of whom enjoyed his colorful stories about his life and adventures. Out of high school he entered the petroleum industry as a roustabout in the White Castle oil fields, rapidly advancing to oil field gauger and ultimately to transportation terminal operator, a position from which he retired. During World War II he was a ball turret gunner on a B-24, in the Fifteenth Air Force operating out of Italy. He received numerous awards and decorations resulting from fifty combat missions, which included such tough targets as Munich and Regensburg, Germany, Vienna, Austria, and Ploiesti, Romania. He was a member of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church and Usher's Society, American Legion, Frolickers and Startlighters Dance Clubs, and Shell Annuitant Retiree Club. His avocation after retirement was an ambitious devotion to the arts for which he had no formal training. As a sculptor, he produced wood carvings depicting Cajun Culture, which were featured in a magazine article published by Shell Oil Company. He was also a talented acoustic guitar builder and a skilled mechanic. Visitation will be at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd., January 13, 2016, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, rosary will be recited at 7 pm. Visitation will continue Thursday, January 14, 2016, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 445 Marquette Ave., from 9:30 am until Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 am. Interment will follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park. The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the caregivers at Always Best Care of Baton Rouge, especially Mary Lockman and Shawana Taylor for the wonderful attention and care given our loved one.