Kari Marie St. Pierre Thoman

If you have not yet realized what section of the paper you are reading, spoiler alert — she dies at the end. Truth be told, we all do. No one gets out alive. But while we are still here, let’s talk about how she lived. Kari Marie St. Pierre was born May 28, 1970. Daughter of V.J. St. Pierre of Destrehan and Kathleen Madere St. Pierre of Reserve. Wedged between sister Shelley Cameron and brother Ron St. Pierre, Kari rejected the notion of middle child syndrome, preferring the title “Ambassador of Mischief.” While perfecting her craft at St. Charles Borromeo and later Ecole Classique, Kari consistently persuaded friends far and wide to walk the line in the name of fun. She knew the words to every Hendrix song and every Emily Dickenson poem. She married Chris Thoman in 1994 and gave birth in 2003 to daughter Annika Lyyli Thoman, who she adored and regarded as her single greatest contribution to our world. Kari’s adventures led her to living in many different places across our nation, building a network of lifelong friends at every stop. She was at ease jet-setting to France, sipping champagne or drinking Miller High Life ponies at the fishing camp. She was a gifted storyteller and brilliant writer, composing countless poems and memoirs seen by a select few. She honed her quick wit — razor sharp — with a chip on her shoulder, and carried herself as if her petite frame were ten-feet tall and bulletproof. She loved unconditionally, with abandon, painting sarcasm far and wide with broad effortless strokes. She was generous with her time and money, investing heavily in friends, an impeccable wardrobe and good times. Her last day here on earth was Tuesday, November 6, succumbing to injuries sustained from rushing into a burning building to save kittens. Or maybe it was to save puppies. After all, Kari was quite the storyteller. Perhaps it was just as Reverend Hendrix said, “And so castles made of sand melts into the sea eventually.”

Family and friends are invited to attend visitation at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Destrehan, Tuesday, November 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with Funeral Mass starting at noon. Interment to follow at St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery. In lieu of flowers or donations, Kari requested you perform a random act of kindness, that you may carry on her legacy and be a beacon of light in someone else’s world.