Roy Leonard Marchand Jr.

Roy Leonard Marchand Jr., age 94, completed his earthly journey and went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. A lifelong resident of Gonzales, Louisiana, Roy spent just four years away while serving in the U.S. Air Force in San Antonio, Texas. It was there he met his beloved wife, Joan Marie Wolfe Marchand. Joan, a sergeant, outranked Roy, a corporal—an arrangement that affectionately remained throughout their 59-year marriage. In 1949, Roy Jr. and his father, Roy Marchand Sr., purchased the family’s general store, originally established in Gonzales in 1907 by Roy Jr.'s grandfather. By the late 1950s, Roy Jr. had begun transforming the store into a beloved local seafood market and restaurant. Known simply as “The Store” to family and friends, it became a staple in the community—a place for fresh and boiled seafood, hot plate lunches, and po’boys. Over the years, many of Roy’s relatives worked at The Store, and countless young people in Ascension Parish got their first taste of cooking there, including a few who went on to fame. Roy also served his community in other ways—as a Director for the Bank of Gonzales, a Gonzales City Councilman, and a long-time member of the Ascension Parish Library Board. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy Marchand Sr. and Lydia Hebert Marchand; his wife, Joan Marie Wolfe Marchand; his son, Robert James "Bobby" Marchand; and sisters, Barbara Epstein and Clara Ann Johnson. Roy is survived by six children: Ronny Marchand, Rodney Marchand (Sharon), Scott Marchand, Todd Marchand, Lisa Lackey (Rory), and Theresa Robbins (Troy). He also leaves behind eight grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held at St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church in Gonzales on Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow at Cornerview Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Rodney Marchand, Scott Marchand, Todd Marchand, Troy Robbins, Davin Miller, DJ Miller, and Adam Marchand. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that Masses be offered for Roy and Joan at St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church in Gonzales.