Mazie Pharr

Published 6:00 am Sunday, January 21, 2018

Funeral services will be held for Mrs. Newton Taylor Pharr, the former Mazie Agnes Mestayer, age 93, on Monday, January 22, 2018, at 10 a.m. at First United Methodist Church of New Iberia. The Reverend Scott Bullock will officiate, with interment following in Rosehill Cemetery. Visitation will be held Sunday at Evangeline Funeral Home from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Monday, visiting hours will be held at First United Methodist Church from 9 a.m. until time of services.

Mrs. Pharr was born in New Iberia on September 20, 1924, where she lived for most of her life. She passed away peacefully on Friday, January 19, 2018, in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, at the home of her daughter, Susan, with whom she had been living. Mrs. Pharr was a 1941 graduate of New Iberia High School and subsequently earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette). While there she was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.

Married to Newton Pharr for 53 years, she began her married life in New Orleans where Newton attended Tulane University Law School and she did social work. When they returned to New Iberia, she began teaching in the Iberia Parish school system. A school teacher for 25 years, her first assignment was at Delcambre High School. She soon moved to lower elementary school, teaching at both Susan Terrell (North Street) Elementary and Live Oak Elementary in New Iberia for the remainder of her career. After her retirement, she worked at the Gingerbread House Early Learning Center for several years. She truly loved teaching young children and very much enjoyed seeing her students years later as teenagers and young adults.

Mrs. Pharr was a devoted wife and mother. Raising her four daughters was her proudest accomplishment. In her spare time, she was a Fortnightly member and also played bridge with various groups of friends. She served on the bereavement committee at First United Methodist Church where she was a life-long member. 

She was also a member of the Iberia Parish Retired Teachers Association and the Louisiana Retired Teachers Association.

Mrs. Pharr was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Newton Taylor Pharr; her parents, Rene Raphael Mestayer and Ethel Ashley Mestayer; her sisters, Ethel “Sugar” Mestayer Riviere and Renee Mestayer LaSalle; her niece, Renee LaSalle O’Brien, and her nephew, Henri Paul LaSalle. She is survived by her daughters, Ann Pharr Russell and husband, Greg, of Little Rock, Arkansas; Susan Pharr Atchley and husband, Clinton, of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas; Rachel Pharr and husband, Bernard Kolle, of Alexandria, Virginia; and Louise Pharr and husband, Jan Aasen, of Stavanger, Norway. Survivors also include her grandchildren, Leah Wright Brehm, Sarah Caroline Atchley Wilson, Graham Marcel Kolle, Elise Sophie Kolle, Erik Pharr Aasen, and Thomas Pharr Aasen; her great-grandson, Beau William Brehm; and her niece, Jane Ashley Riviere.

Serving as pallbearers are Clinton Atchley, Greg Russell, Willy Brehm, Calvin Wilson, John Howell and Jim Megehee.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Arkansas Hospice (www.arkansashospice.org) and First United Methodist Church of New Iberia. The family also wishes to thank Arkansas Hospice and Mrs. Pharr’s many caregivers for their love and support.

To view the online obituary and to share your memories and condolences, please visit Mrs. Pharr’s memorial page at www.evangelinefuneralhome.com.

Evangeline Funeral Home of New Iberia (364-1881) is in charge of arrangements.