NEW IBERIA – Funeral Services will be conducted for Dr. Jacob Raphael Lahasky at 1:00 pm Friday, March 22, 2019 at Evangeline Funeral Home with Rabbi Robert Loewy officiating. Interment will follow at the Congregation Gates of Prayer Cemetery.
A gathering of family and friends will be held at Evangeline Funeral Home on Thursday from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm. Visiting hours will resume on Friday from 11:00 am on until service time.
Dr. Lahasky passed away on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 3:35 am at Iberia Extended Care. He was 90.
Dr. Lahasky was born in New Orleans to parents who could neither hear nor speak. He attended and graduated from Fortier High School in New Orleans from 1941-1945, and then enrolled at Tulane University from 1945-1948 where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree. He was admitted into the LSU School of Medicine from 1948-1952 where he received his Degree in Medicine at the young age of 22. Doc served his medical internship in Eloise Michigan from 1952-1953 and then went on to serve at Ellington Air Force Base from 1953-1956. After completing his time at Ellington, he decided to move to New Iberia to be close to his brother and began practicing as a Physician in 1956. Doc specialized in Family Medicine and practiced for 40 years. After retiring from private practice, he continued to serve as a volunteer doctor for Hospice of Acadiana for 20 years until the age of 88. Throughout his career, Dr. Lahasky was active in many civic and professional organizations. He was a member of the New Iberia Rotary Club; member and past president of Iberia Parish Medical Society; member and past president of B’Nai Brith, and member and past president of Temple Gates of Prayer.
Dr. Lahasky will be remembered as the doctor who always showed up. For his kind and compassionate spirit and of course his great jokes. He was happiest when surrounded by his family and lived his life always trying to emulate the prayer: “to do justly and walk humbly with your God.” He had four loves, his family, his faith, his patients and his dogs. He died just as he lived, worrying about those he was leaving behind, especially his wife of 66 years.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Florette Malkin Lahasky of New Iberia; five sons, Stephen Gerald Lahasky and wife Leah Goldblatt; Robert Edward Lahasky and wife Matilda Tebele and William Malkin Lahasky and wife Karen Lanie all of New Iberia; Mark Allen Lahasky and wife Sally Stephenson of Kansas City, KS and Andrew Brian Lahasky and wife Lena Broussard of Houston, TX; fourteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Morris and Freida Stern Lahasky and his brother, Dr. Bernard Lahasky.
Serving as pallbearers are Aaron Lahasky, Jeffrey Lahasky, Hunter Lahasky, Alex Lahasky, Ronald Lahasky and David Lahasky. Douglas Lahasky, Jerry Wallace, Charles Castaign, Patrick Milroy, James Fisher and Kevin Barnes will serve as honorary pallbearers.
In lieu of flowers please make donations in Dr. Lahasky’s name to Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston Street, Ste. 200 Lafayette, LA 70503 and/or Temple Gates of Prayer, 109 Weeks Street, New Iberia, LA 70560.
The family would like to thank doctors, Ditch, Gulotta and Charbonnay. And a special thank you to Dr. Sigue who has been on this journey with him for the last ten years. Thanks also to the nurses, aids and therapists at Iberia Medical Center. He was treated with the same compassion, care and respect that he always gave his patients.
To view on-line obituary and to share memories of “Doc” please visit his memorial page at www.evangelinenewiberia.com.
Evangeline Funeral Home of New Iberia is in charge of arrangements.
