Mary Loomis Schexnayder

A Memorial Mass will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, November 25, 2017, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church for Mary Loomis Schexnayder, 88, who passed away at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, at her residence. Visitation will be held from 11a.m. until 1 p.m. in the vestibule of the church.

Mrs. Schexnayder was born in Claverack, New York on November 6, 1929. Mary was a graduate of Sherrill High School in Sherrill, New York. Her family moved to Texarkana, Texas in 1947. She graduated from Texas State College for Women (Texas Women’s University) in 1952, with a masters in Physical Education. After graduating she moved to Lafayette for a position at SLI (ULL) teaching Women’s PE. In Lafayette she met her husband of 47 years, Gordon Schexnayder and later they moved to New Iberia. She taught at New Iberia Junior High for five years then returned to USL to get a certification in Special Education. Mrs. Schexnayder also attended Iberia Parish Vocational School for Drafting and worked for Hildenbrand and Tools as a Draftsperson. She was a member of several local art galleries where her stick birds and other wood crafts were on exhibit. Mary always had a love for woodworking, nature, birds and football. She enjoyed the family swimming pool year round, even raising a homemade flag to signal when it was neighborhood swim time.

Mrs. Schexnayder is survived by her five children Karen S. Sirimarco and her husband, Tony, of Colorado, David Schexnayder and his wife, Lori, of Loreauville, Becky Schexnayder-Owens of Lafayette, Molly Douglas and her husband, Doug, and Paul Schexnayder and his wife, Lee, of New Iberia; sixteen grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; eleven nieces and nephews; and one surviving brother Hank Loomis and his wife, Shari, of Washington.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon Schexnayder; her parents, Henry Milham Loomis and Mary Wight Loomis; one brother John Loomis; and one sister Katharine Loomis.

Mrs. Schexnayder donated her body to the Tulane Willed Body Program in New Orleans.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Sisters of Mt. Carmel, Hospice of Acadiana, or the Hemophilia Federation of America.