One of the finest Person has come into our lives for a time, Her time with us was well spent altho to shart a time for us, I know that our Lord and savior Jesus look upon her passing though this life and time well spent and when she went home He said , ( Faye you ran your race , you finished and a job well done welcome home, welcome home )

Outside of my family, Fay Champagne is the single most influential person in my life.

There is not another person who touched and shaped more lives than Faye Champagne. She taught so many, so much more than music, and with unwavering love and patience. She taught us how to work together. She taught us to push ourselves. She taught us to listen. She taught how to teach.

…and all with the brightest smile.

Dearest Beau and family, our heart is broken with the sad news of 
Faye's passing. No words can express our sadness. Faye was a beautiful person thru and thru, and left great memories with us. I will always remember her breaking into a silly song in the midst of a serious golf game, and we would all be laughing and singing with her. Beau, please let us know if ever we can do anything for you. Our prayers are with your family. Stu and Helen Fowler

She was a wonderful person and Teacher. Always patient when trying to teach me to read music that I didn't think I needed to learn. Wish I would have tried a little harder on that.  She was  the best voice teacher and l love the fact that she taught many of us how to yodel and to listen to the music before you try to sing to get the notes just right. So very sorry for your loss. Love an prayers to

Mrs. Champagne was not only my 3rd grade teacher where she would yodel for us at the of the day if we were good, she also taught my sister how to play guitar, me, the mandolin and also taught us how to use our voices in harmony  to make beautiful music in our living room at home every Sunday afternoon. She was always bigger than life to me. Always had a smile that could light up a room.  There is beautiful music in Heaven now and a lot of people are learning discipline, how to play an instrument but most of the love of a very GREAT women.  I bet she'll even have God yodeling before long.  I speak for me and my famy, we love you and thank you for all the years of wisdom, education and love you have given us.  Rest in peace Mrs. Champagne.

She was a wonderful person, teacher and friend.....we will always remember her passions: her family, music, her yodeling and her golf games!!!! My condolences and prayers are with her family....
Janice Talbot

Beau, Gary, Terry and Shere
My heart breaks for you all
I know how much you loved her and how she loved you all
I will never forget all that she taught me and did for me
I wouldn't be the singer or entertainer I am today if it wasn't for her
She taught me the art of yodeling and tone and pronunciation
But better than that she taught me to keep my head on straight and use the talents God gave me
A hole is left in my heart and the only consolation is that she is with Our Lord in his loving arms
Where she knows a love like no other
I thank you all for sharing your Mom with all of us
Know that you will be in our prayers each for strength and peace to get you through this tough time
I love you all dearly
Will try and call soon

Beauty is not always skin deep. Aunt Faye was a rarity as she was beautiful all the way to her heart and soul. I can't think of a single time I ever saw her she wasn't smiling, and her face was always lit up. When we leave this world, we leave nothing but memories, all our memories of Aunt Faye are beautiful. Our lives were fuller and we were all blessed to have known her.

With all our love, 
Greg and Lou Galloway

To the family and friends of Mrs. Faye Champagne:

Pooch Amy sent me a text saying Mrs. Champagne had passed away.  We were both speechless at the loss.  A few hours passed and I kept thinking about it.  I decided I couldn't be speechless.  There were wonderful storied to tell, and so I posted this on my Facebook Page:

Sad news...Mrs. Faye Champagne passed away today.

Few people influenced my life as Mrs. Champagne did.  She not only taught me to play guitar starting at age 8, but because she always sang along on the songs we learned, so did I.  And I learned to love singing because of her lessons.

She taught us all of the most popular songs of the day covering all genres of music.  She taught me to yodel, my first voice control lesson, really, though future college voice professors might not have agreed it was an important skill to hone.  LOL.  I loved it and can still (proudly) do it.  (Not so much love for the opera the profs taught!)

Mrs. Champagne taught me to perform in front of an audience and use a mic.  It was usually a nursing home audience, but they treated us like we were all Grand Old Opry stars.  So they were the perfect audience.  I am sure she knew that.

About a year into lessons, she challenged me to memorize "just one verse" of "I've Been Everywhere."  I went home that week and learned all four verses from memory to surprise her the next week.  She was behind the wall making mimeograph copies of our lesson for the day when I launched into it.  She came around the corner in a flash with that beautiful smile of hers.  I loved pleasing her.  I can still sing (and play) every word of that song today.  I even taught my daughter to sing it.  We both performed it in harmony (something else Mrs. Champagne taught me to do) for her high school talent show in 2004.  I learned so, so many things from Mrs. Champagne.

And then I became a teacher.  At age 10 I started teaching other neighborhood kids what I had learned.  I've been teaching ever since.  Now I teach Elementary Music to Grades k-5.  They love it when I play guitar and sing for them and with them.  And I yodel and sing "I've Been Everywhere"

Almost every direction my life has taken has revolved around music.  It was Mrs. Champagne that lit the fire in me.

It took a LOT of kindling to get that fire to burn well, however. I was so AWFUL at first that Mrs.C (as Pooch Amy called her)  wanted to tell my mom I had absolutely NO musical talent at all and there was no need to waste any more money on guitar lessons for me.  I had no rhythm or timing, (questionable as to if this has improved much even now, ha ha) no senses of pitch matching or general musicality.  I just banged the strings and sang whatever suited me at the top of my lungs.  Mom often encouraged me to practice "outside and entertain the dogs." (true)

But Mrs. Champagne never told my mother I was awful because, as she said, I "loved it so,"  She couldn't bear to say anything but encouraging words because of my enthusiasm and real effort. 

She was a true teacher...patient and always believing her students could and would succeed.

One day, it just "clicked" for me.  I started singing much closer to pitch, finding a passable rhythm with my strumming, and it started to sound, hmmmm, not COMPLETELY awful, I guess?  The next spring I won 2nd place in the school wide talent show at Hillcrest Elementary and was on the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, LA the following year.

Mrs. Champagne put my newspaper picture about the Louisiana Hayride on her bulletin board next to Glenn Campbell's autographed 8x0 glossy.  I was so proud.  It was then that she told me the story of almost "firing" me as a student those first few months of lessons.  From entertaining in nursing homes, to a degree in Elementary Education with a Music Specialization, to having a successful private party band in Houston for over 20 years, to singing the National Anthem for the Houston Astros, Aeros, and WNBA Comets, to singing "Rutter's Requiem" in Carnegie Hall, Mrs. Champagne got me hooked on performing, and I have never stopped.  I am forever grateful for her influence in my life.

Thank you, Mrs. Champagne, for sharing your talent, love, and patience with so many.  You changed lives.  Your legacy lives on in those you inspired and in turn, those we have or will inspire in the future.  I hope heaven is ready for one heckva Hootenanny!!

After posting this on my Facebook page (Jessica McLain Halter.)  I have heard from so many people about how much she also meant to them...Pooch Amy contacted me immediately via text.  I posted and heard from Glenn Garcia, Wade Spittler, Sheri Tatum, Anna Rojo, Phyllis Arsement...All former students.  I'm sure we will hear from others as the news spreads.

What a life.  What a lady. God bless you all as you grieve her passing and celebrate her wonderful life.  She was a beautiful person.

Sincerely,
Jessica Halter

OBITUARY

Mrs. Merlyn Faye Champagne

November 27, 1933 – October 23, 2014

Eubank Cedar Creek Funeral Home & Memorial Park

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