Frank Ernest Fagot

Frank E. Fagot, 80, of LaPlace, Louisiana, passed away on February 12, 2021 at Kenner Regional Hospital. Throughout his life, Frank enjoyed being of service to the community he lived in. Frank served the LaPlace Volunteer Fire Department for 60 years as a firefighter, Vice-President, and President, holding the position of Fire Chief from 1970 through 1984. He was also on the Board of Directors for the LaPlace Volunteer Fire Department for over forty years. He served as Deputy Director of the Civil Defense Department, which was later changed to the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and he was appointed Fire Safety Officer in charge over all volunteer fire departments in St. John Parish in the event of a major disaster.

Frank founded the Andouille Festival in 1972 and served as General Manager of the festival from 1972 through 1984. He founded the Miss Andouille pageant for the festival in 1974. In 1987, Frank started the business Allied Express in LaPlace, which is still in operation today. Frank was a lifetime member of the Louisiana State Fireman’s Association, a member of the St. John Business Association since its inception, and a member of the River Region Chamber of Commerce since its inception as well.

Frank was a huge fan of LSU, and his happiest times were when football season began and he could go to the games to watch his beloved Tigers perform on the field. Dressed in LSU clothes from the cap on his head to the socks on his toes, he would stand on the hill to listen to the LSU band as they performed toward the stadium playing “Hey, Fighting Tigers” He loved the precision and the sound of the drums.

He was the patriarch who wanted to take care of everyone around him. His sons, Brian and Kevin, were the joy of his life and the source of his pride, and the girls who worked with him at Allied Express were like his daughters. He loved them all. He was always trying to make their lives better with advice that they mostly chose to listen to. His sense of humor was legendary, and he always had a joke ready to make people laugh. His bright smile and larger-than-life personality filled the room. He will be sadly missed by his family, his co-workers, and those who knew him and loved him well throughout the community.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Emmett L. Fagot and Helen Doris Bechtel Fagot. He is survived by: his wife, Laura Petersen Fagot; his sons, Kevin Bechtel and Brian Bechtel (Lindsay); his granddaughter, Ellie Marie Bechtel; his sister, Susie Nowell; his nephew, Tootie Nowell (Linda); his great-nephew, Jared Nowell; his great-niece, Jamie Nowell; and his sister-in-law, Linda Wagner.