Joseph Blanco

Joseph Blanco died on October 8, 2018 at 11:15 p.m. at the age of 88.

A Mass will be held for him at Sacred Heart Church in New Iberia on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at 1 p.m. followed by a graveside ceremony at Beau Pre Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the church.

He is the son of Gumersindo Blanco and Mary Frances Locascio Blanco.

He is survived by four natural children Joseph Anthony Blanco, Felicia Blanco Searcy and spouse, Michael Searcy, Paul Bernard Blanco and spouse, Putu Blanco and Anthony Hebert Blanco and spouse April Michelle Yates-Blanco; three step children Charlotte Avery Aaron married to Ken Aaron, Paul Michael Johnson and Elaine Lorelle Johnson; his former wife, Betty Jean Bolton; and his third wife, Janet Bernhardt, and her daughter Katie Bernhardt; 11 grandchildren Sarah Adel Koep-Blanco, Francisco Evaristo Koep-Blanco, Nicholas Blanco, Briona Blanco, Ramona Mallette Blanco, Veronica Mallette Blanco, Carmelite Marie Blanco, James Phillip Paulsen, Jeffery Daniel Paulson, Rebecca Maulsby Blanchard Kurtz, Samuel Johnson Kurtz; his brother Raymond Sindo Blanco and his wife, former governor of Louisiana Kathleen Babineaux Blanco; his five nieces and nephews Karmen Blanco Hartfield and her spouse, Jerry Hartfield. Monique Blanco Boulet and her spouse, David Boulet, Nicole Blanco, Ray Blanco Jr. and his spouse, Aprill Springfield Blanco and Kathleen Pilar Blanco Eble and her spouse, Michael Eble; and 13 great-nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by two children Mary Elizabeth Blanco and James Peter Martin Blanco; his second wife, Carmelite Lorelle Hebert Blanco; and his nephew Benedict Blanco.

Joe was a dedicated father and husband. He was a highly respected and well loved teacher and coach at Catholic Memorial in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Upon moving to Louisiana, he continued his dedication to serving as an agent with Northwestern Mutual Insurance company.

He passed on a strong sense of social justice to his children as he was highly involved in the civil rights movement and continued to be highly involved in his community as an active member of the Democratic Party and contributor to a number of causes and charities. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.