Robert "Bobbie" DeBlieux

Robert “Bobby” DeBlieux, age 77, of Natchitoches, LA, passed away Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Our Lady Of The Lake in Baton Rouge, LA. Arrangements are being handled by Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home, in Natchitoches, LA where the family will receive friends from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm on Wednesday, February 03, 2009. A rosary service will be held at 7:00 pm during the visitation. The funeral service will be held at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Natchitoches at 10:00 am on Thursday, February 04, 2010 with Rev. Stephen Scott Chemino and Rev. James Foster officiating. Bobby was a colorful character who loved life and lived it to its fullest. He never met a stranger. He was born on January 26, 1933 in Natchitoches, LA. He passed away unexpectedly due to a brain hemorrhage. Bobby was a historian, preservationist, painter, author, and businessman. He served in the United States Army from 1956-1958 stationed in Germany. He was mayor of Natchitoches, LA from 1976-1980. As mayor, Bobby was instrumental in founding the Natchitoches Historic District. In the early 1980’s, he was appointed by Governor David Treen as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Cultural Development. He continued in the same position under Governor Edwin W. Edwards. During his tenure, Bobby created forty-two National Register Districts in Louisiana. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of the Garden Club in Natchez, MS. Bobby’s historic preservation endeavors include his establishment of Museum Contents, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of Natchitoches. He has also been president and a board member of the Natchitoches Historic Foundation. Bobby loved researching his ancestry as well as other families in the Natchitoches area. He contacted his French relatives and in 2002 and was instrumental in organizing a reunion in Alpes de Haute Provence, France with over 150 French and American cousins. Prior to his death, Bobby was the proprietor of is ancestral home, The Tante Huppe’ Inn, Bed and Breakfast. Bobby is survived by two daughters, Cammie DeBlieux Davis and husband Randy and Dene’ DeBlieux Mathies and husband David, all from Baton Rouge, LA. He is also survived by his grandchildren, William, Lindsey, and Cody Davis and Dillon and Jordan Mathies; two sister-in-laws, Mary Lee DeBlieux of Houma, LA and Pat DeBlieux of Natchitoches; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, JoAnne Weaver DeBlieux, two brothers, Jeff DeBlieux and Dale DeBlieux, and his parents, Jefferson Davis DeBlieux, Jr. and Pat Roubieu DeBlieux. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Natchitoches Historic Foundation or St. Mary’s School.