She was a native of Iota, LA and was the daughter of Pierre and Lydia (Broussard) Pousson. She graduated from St. Francis Catholic School. She moved to Lake Charles and worked at the Chennault Air Base where she met her future husband. When the war was over, she married Joe Baldassari at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Lake Charles. When WWII ended, she moved to her husband's home state of Rhode Island and lived there until her husband's death in 1958. In 1959 she and her children returned to Louisiana and settled in Sulphur. There they became members of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church where she taught CCD in the early 60's. She returned to school and earned an associate degree in data processing from Sowela Community College. She worked at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital until her retirement in 1986 as their Employee Benefits Coordinator.
As a member of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church, she was a member of the Choir, Catholic Daughters, Ladies Altar Society, Young at Heart and the West Calcasieu Serran Organization. Her hobbies were gardening, quilting, traveling and playing Spinner with her friends. Her love of gardening resulted in her receiving a Yard of the Month Award on her 80th birthday. She was also a member of AARP, the Sulphur Civic Club and the Sulphur Silver Singers.
Survivors include her sons Joe Baldassari and his wife, Carol, of Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Tom Baldassari and his wife Katie, of Sulphur; daughter Karen Craft and her husband Russell, of Lansing, KS; two grandsons, Jason Craft and his wife, Lisa of Salina, KS and Tony Baldassari and his wife Renee, of Sulphur; six grandaughters, Jennifer Pereira and her husband, Edson, of Lawrence, KS, Laura Baldassari of Washington, DC, Nicole Baldassari of Smithfield, RI, Kristen Baldassari of Seabrook, TX, and Lauren and Megan Baldassari of Baton Rouge; two step granddaughters, Jaime Fontenot of LaPorte, TX, and Erin Williams of Leander, TX; three great granddaughters, Sophie and Madelyn Craft of Salina, KS, and Ava Baldassari of Sulphur; one great-grandson, Wyatt Baldassari of Sulphur; one step great-granddaughter, Jocelynn Ramirez of LaPorte, TX. She is also survived by a brother, Leonard Pousson of Lake Charles and three sisters, Norma Pettijohn of Sulphur, Connie Watson of Wrightsville, PA, and Barbara (Bobbie) Ogea of Lake Charles. She is also survived by ten nephews and six nieces.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Joseph E. Baldassari, Sr., her parents, three brothers, Milfred Pousson, Lubert (Joe) Pousson and Harris Pousson and a nephew, Warren Swann.
Visitation will be held at the Hixson-Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home on Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday evening a rosary will be conducted by the Catholic Daughters at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will resume Monday at 8:00 a.m. and continue until the service begins. The funeral service will be held at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Sulphur beginning at 10:00 a.m. Father Gerry Boulanger will officiate. Burial will follow in Mimosa Pines Memorial Garden under the direction of Hixson-Sulphur Funeral Home.
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