Jacques Jules Creppel

Jacques was born in Lafitte, LA on September 18, 1934, to Foster and Margaret Zar Creppel. He successfully pursued many careers throughout his vibrant, adventurous life. After graduating from LSU in 1957 with a degree in petroleum engineering, he and his new bride, the love of his life, Claire Binet, joined the United States Air Force where he spent eleven years as a pilot flying nine different fighter aircraft, stationed in Georgia, California, The Netherlands and Texas. He was considered one of the top test and instructor pilots. Among his favorite moments were flying at Mach 2 and to 91,000 feet in an F104. He spent an additional 14 years as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard and served as Squadron Commander at Alvin Callender Field. Flying was a passion. From full-time Air Force duty he took a position with Getty Oil as a petroleum engineer in Lafayette, LA, and then New Orleans, with a separate assignment as area engineer in West Texas. Jacques would go on to build Venture Towing Company, and to fly for Royal and Eastern Airlines. In 1980, he and Claire purchased The Columns Hotel which they restored and developed into an iconic New Orleans institution for nearly forty years. In 1997, they bought Woodland, another property preserved, refurbished and, along with The Columns Hotel, added to the National Register of Historic Places. Jacques retired at the age of 85.

Jacques married Claire Binet in February 1957. They had six children, Ingrid (Bob Mudge), Foster (Heather Donohue), Collette (Stephen Higginson), Gregg, Lisa Peterson (Tim), and Morgan. They enjoyed many adventures with their nine beloved grandchildren, Jack Peterson (Patricia), Ben (Torie) Nugent-Peterson, Audrey Peterson, Lillian Mudge (Zachary Roach), Isaac Mudge, Christopher Higginson, Cadie Higginson (Wendy Ginsberg), Noelle Higginson, Liam Donohue, and their two great-grandchildren, Piper and Jamie Peterson. Jacques is survived by his wife and all his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and his sister Patricia Curry Stuard. He is predeceased by his parents and his brother, Gary Creppel.

Jacques and Claire travelled to every corner and pocket of the globe and were members of the Seven Continent Club, pursuing their curiosity about our beautiful planet. They purchased, moved and renovated a farmhouse (“Tranquilla”) in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, spending summers there over more than three decades. Generosity, friendship, and openness of spirit to all people and places were defining aspects of Jacques’s approach to the world. He stayed close to his many dear friends. He read voraciously and loved movies, playing sudoku and holding hands with Claire until the very end. While we remember his impressive professional achievements, mostly we will miss his enormous heart, infectious laughter and smile, and how he loved to bring us together for one of his big pots of crawfish etouffee on a Sunday evening.

Memorial donations can be made to the National Park Foundation https://www.nationalparks.org/ or the Wounded Warrior Project https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.