Jane Houston Craddock Bodet

Jane Houston Craddock Bodet passed away peacefully at her home during the early hours of April 6, 2022 at the age of 89 years, 11 months. She is now joyfully reunited with her devoted husband of 39 years, Robert J. Bodet and her beloved grandson, Adrien Paul Bodet. Jane and Bob are the proud parents of three sons: Robert J. Bodet, Jr. (Liz), W. Scott Bodet (Eileen), Christopher Shaw Bodet (Tiche) and blessed with their eight grandchildren: Darren (Ashleigh), Jayme Bodet Sadik (Jonathan), Frances Bodet Saunders (Zachariah), Cecile, Stephanie, Christopher, Logan Marie, and Libby Bodet. Jane was elated to witness the beginnings of her next generation of family with 5 great-grandchildren: Ella and Chloe Bodet; Joshua, Michael, and Madelyn Sadik. Jane was the sister of the late Sue Craddock Biltz (Bob) of Madison, CT.

Jane was born on Thursday, April 21, 1932 to Lucile Houston Craddock and Walter Francis Craddock, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the Great Depression. Jane would be entering what was the yet-to-be-named Silent Generation, the generation that would follow the Greatest Generation of World War II and precede the generation of the Baby Boomers.

High School Sweethearts, Jane then 15 at Eleanor McMain Secondary School, and Bob 18 at Fortier High School, met at the Ye Olde College Inn in New Orleans in 1947, and would marry soon after their college years at LSU on February 27, 1954. With Bob as a U.S. Air Force ROTC graduate, he was assigned to duty at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier, where the two of them would end up starting their amazing life together.

Lifelong friendships were formed up in Shreveport/Bossier before their return to New Orleans in 1956, where Jane and Bob would build their first home, and the actual first house in the new Crosby subdivision of Kawanee-Bissonet in Metairie. They were among the earliest Parishioners of the newly installed St. Philip Neri Parish Church and School on Kawanee Avenue, and they were among the founding members of the Bissonet-Maned Downs Country Club.

Her study of Horticulture and Home Economics at LSU (1954) showed in everything that she touched. As an avid and accomplished gardener, her home with Bob had tucked away beneath its greenery and flowers a “Garden of the Month” sign that never left the property and remained as a permanent fixture of their garden. Their house was no less well-appointed and was featured in The Times-Picayune Dixie Roto Magazine in 1973. Never happier than in entertaining at her home with Bob, many of you reading this will remember the dinner and cocktail parties on Haring Ct., and the annual Father’s Day Picnic at their country home on Bodet Lane in Covington. Family meals were an important part of an every-evening affair, beginning each seated dinner with a prayer of thanksgiving.

Jane found yet another passion in Real Estate where together with her perfectly adapted personality, business intuition, and sense of fair play, she would excel in a life-long devotion to all things Home. Initially joining with the Stan Weber Real Estate Company in the early ‘70’s, she would go on to co-found the Real Estate Resource Group of Covington in 2007.

She was a member of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors, and the Northshore Area Board of Realtors (St Tammany). Achieving Life Member status in the Million Dollar Club, honoring Real Estate Agents who have demonstrated a commitment and dedication to rise to the top of their profession. A Founding Member of the Acres of Green Garden Club in Metairie, and its President from 1959 to 1961. Jane was honored to preside as an International Master Flower Show Judge for many decades in New Orleans.

She is a member of the Wharton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution DAR, and of the Louisiana Colonials, the Kiwanis of Covington, and of the Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church widows group.

Throughout her life, Jane (perhaps without knowing) would subscribe to Emerson’s notion of leaving the world a bit better. In that “if even one life has breathed easier because you have lived — that is to have succeeded.”

Jane was many things to many people. She was, however, always and forever first a deeply devoted wife and mother, and of a deep Christian faith.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite charity in her memory.

Please join us on Thursday afternoon, April 21st at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1501 W Causeway Approach, Mandeville. Visitation begins at 2:00 followed by a Catholic Mass celebrating the life of Jane Bodet at 3:00. Graveside services and a private burial in Metairie Cemetery will follow at a later date. An online guestbook is available at www.gracenorthshore.com.