Maurice Gerard Thiele Sr.

Maurice G. Thiele passed away peacefully at home on July 3, 2026, at the age of 103. He was born on March 21, 1923, in New Orleans to the late Henry Albert Joseph Thiele and Lucille DesForges Thiele. He was the brother of late Henry “Duke” J. A. Thiele Jr., Noemie "Mimi" Thiele Raymond, and Lucille Thiele Massicot.

Maurice was married for nearly 70 years to his beloved late wife, Merrill Agnes Knecht Thiele. He is survived by his children, Maurice G. “Mickey” Thiele, Jr (Cindy), Merrill Ann Thiele Babin (Steve), and William H. “Billy” Thiele (Jeannine). He was the loving grandfather of Stephen Babin Jr. (Brittany), Mark Babin, Matthew Babin (Emily), Michael Thiele, Scarlett Thiele Tierney (David), and Brett Thiele, and great-grandchildren Luke, Georgia, and Thomas Babin and Hero Tierney.

He was a volunteer in World War II as a crew member on B-17 and B-29 aircraft. After the war, he returned to New Orleans and went to Tulane University engineering school. After Tulane he had a long career with the Menge Pump and Machinery company as a sales engineer and later as the company vice president.

During the postwar years, Maurice was the president of a social fraternity, That Old Gang Of Mine (TOGOM), and he published their Look See magazine.

After Hurricane Katrina flooded his longtime New Orleans home in Oak Park, Maurice won the war of attrition with the various recovery and insurance agencies finally enabling him to construct a new home where his pre-hurricane house stood.

He was an original Saints season ticket holder and held season tickets for thirty years supporting the team through good times and bad.

A devoted Catholic, he was a parishioner of St. Francis Cabrini Church for 50 years. Following Hurricane Katrina, he became a parishioner of St. Pius X Church.

Maurice’s family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to his personal caregivers and to Serenity Hospice for the kindness, compassion and dedicated care that they provided to him in his final years.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, July 17, 2026, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA. Visitation will be held from 12 PM – 2 PM with a funeral Mass to begin at 2 PM. Interment will follow at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.

In lieu of flowers, donation in Maurice’s memory may be made to St. Pius X Church, 6666 Spanish Fort Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124.