Ronald Wayne Prewitt

NATCHITOCHES—Funeral services for Ronald Wayne Prewitt of Natchitoches, a prominent North Louisiana businessman for four decades, will be conducted Saturday at 2 p.m. at Westside Baptist Church in Natchitoches. The Rev. Steve McAlister, pastor of Westside, will officiate. Burial will follow the services at the American Cemetery in Natchitoches. Visitation is scheduled from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home and from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday at the church. Prewitt, 66, died of a sudden illness Monday in Gonzales, Tex., where he had been involved in the activities of his CRC Oilfield Services company. Born in Delano, Calif., July 31, 1950, Ron grew up in Ozark, Mo., where he played high school football and basketball. He received a basketball scholarship to Arkansas Tech in Russellville and was a letterman there before transferring to Louisiana Tech, where he graduated with honors in Forestry in 1972. He began his career as a licensed forester in Coushatta and in 1978 became a partner and owner of Mitchell & Prewitt, a forestry consulting company in Natchitoches that included among its clients such major landowners as International Paper Company. Prewitt was engaged in real estate development in Natchitoches and acquired extensive property throughout North Louisiana. He was active for years in the oil and gas industry, especially in the Haynesville Shale area. In recent years, he established Bayou Country Forestry Management and CRC Oilfield Services companies. He was baptized at the age of 12 at the First Baptist Church of Ozark, Mo., and was a member of First Baptist Church of Natchitoches, where he taught Royal Ambassador classes and coached youth basketball teams over the years. Prewitt was active in such professional organizations as the Louisiana Forestry Association and the National Association of Consulting Foresters and had numerous other interests. He achieved the designation of Eagle Scout, held a Black Belt in karate, was a competitive racquetball player for years, an avid hunter and fishermen who supported Ducks Unlimited and other conservation groups and was a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Efton Sloane Prewitt and Violet Maxine Prewitt. He is survived by his daughter Natalie Ducote and husband Keith of Natchitoches; sons Nicholas Prewitt and wife Jamie of New Braunfels, Tex., and Joseph Prewitt of Austin, Tex.; granddaughters Allie Ducote, Charlee Ann Ducote, Ava Prewitt and Karmelya Johnson, who called him Papa or Pasta Ron; sister Gwen Baskin and husband William or “Hop” of Springdale, Ark.; uncle Robert Stanley “Shorty” Prewitt and aunts Loretta Joan Ross and Dorothea Joyce Hoffman. He is also survived by his fiancée Lisa Smith of Natchitoches and her daughters Meredith, Anna, Lauren and Cameron. Pallbearers will be Enyart Mitchell, Dannie Collins, Edgar Cason, Andrew Vallien, Joe Cooper, Tim Moran, Dale Morvan and David Coker. Honorary pallbearers will be Keith Ducote, Benjamin Zeichner, Daniel Zeichner, Ricky Swayze, Billy Shaw, Robert Prewitt and Orville Bynog. The family suggested that in lieu of flowers memorials be made to Natchitoches Hope for Paws or other charities of the donors’ choice.