Alton ‘T-Sam’ JeanBaptiste

Published 2:00 pm Thursday, June 9, 2011

ST. MARTINVILLE — Alton “T-Sam” JeanBaptiste, 78, passed away on Saturday, June 4, 2011, at Camelot Nursing Home in Broussard. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in St. Martinville.

Mr. JeanBaptiste retired from the St. Martin Parish School Board after 35 years of dedicated service. He was also an employee of the St. Martin Parish Government for many years. Mr. JeanBaptiste also farmed sugarcane in the Cade area, along with his father and brothers.

 Mr. JeanBaptiste was a former trustee of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Cade, a Eucharistic Minister and Usher at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. He was the 1992 recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for outstanding service to church and community.

Visiting hours will begin at 8 a.m. at Notre Dame Catholic Church, with the Holy Rosary to follow at 9 a.m. Father Lambert Lein, S.V.D., will officiate the funeral mass.

Internment will follow at Queen of Peace Mausoleum in St. Martinville.

Scriptures will be read by grandchildren Candace Rattliff, Brittini JeanBaptiste, and Howard J. Rattliff III. Gift bearers will be Ronald JeanBaptiste Jr. (grandson), Ethel Jb. Jarrett (sister) and Emmalene Jb. Hunter (sister).

Paul Bearers are Ezra Price, Alex JeanBaptiste Jr., Emmanuel Davis, Jules Jefferson Jr., Vaughn Mallory, and Cedric Jones. Honoray Pall Bearers are Woody Davis, Steven Williams, Allen JeanBaptiste, Harold JeanBaptiste Sr., Wornest Decuir Sr., Oliver Brown, Alton Celestine, Peter Johnson, Richard Simon, Donald Baldwin, Howard Rattliff Jr., Chester Levy Jr., Alfred Lewis, Nolan Charles Jr. Michael Burke, Sydney Zenon, Palmer Johnson, Donald Mitchell, and Anthony Francois.

Survivors include his loving wife of 55 years, Lorita Price JeanBaptiste, of Cade; his daughter Jennifer JeanBaptiste Rattliff (Howard Jr.), Fort Worth, Texas; sisters Emmalene JB. Hunter, Orchard Lake, Mich., and Ethel Jb. Jarrett, Southfield, Mich.; grandchildren SPC Ronald JeanBaptise Jr. (US Army), Kristina Rattliff, Hsin Chu, Taiwan, Republic of China, Candace Rattliff, Houston, Brittany JeanBaptiste, Denton, Texas, and Howard J. Rattliff III, Fort Worth, Texas, and daughter-in-law Sharleen Orphe JeanBaptiste, St. Martinville. He is also survived by sisters-in-law Verna Price, Hilda P. Charles, both of St. Martinvlle, and Rita P. Levy(Chester) of Port Arthur, Texas; godchildren Bradford Paul Lee of Houston, Wilbur Narcisse of St. Martinville and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mr. JeanBaptiste was preceeded in death by his son Ronald JeanBaptiste Sr.; father, Sydney JeanBaptiste; mother, Naomi Burke JeanBaptiste; brothers Jerome JeanBaptiste and Alex JeanBaptiste; sisters Priscilla J.B. Baldwin, Lonnie J.B. Jefferson and Irene J.B. Zenon; brothers-in-law Harris Lee, Solomon Scypian, Jules Jefferson, Willie Zenon Sr., Ira Baldwin, Nolan Charles, Richard Jarrett, Willie Price, James Hunter and sister in law Leona Price Lee.

Golden Meadows Funeral Home of St. Martinville is in charge of arrangements.