Community stalwart Dave Cavalier’s life and legacy as a coach, friend and mentor will be long remembered in Iberia Parish, but the confident faith he held throughout his life was also remarkable in the way that if affected those around during his time as principal of Catholic High School in New Iberia and at St. Edward School.

For many of the staff at Catholic High, Cavalier’s death represented the loss of a major figure who set the standard of how a lay principal should behave.

Cavalier’s hiring was notable because it was the first time in the school’s history that a lay principal had taken the position. Catholic High was founded by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and had long been administered by priests before Cavalier took his position at the school.

Longtime CHS teacher Donald “Doc” Voorhies was on the search committee at the time when the school hired Cavalier. Voorhies said that looking for a lay principal who would be mindful of the traditions of CHS was important, and Cavalier “definitely had that box checked.”

“He was also so well known,” Voorhies said. “He was a former superintendent and he had been principal of other schools.”

CHS Director of Development Jennifer Minvielle said she was a student when Cavalier began his tenure in the late 1990s, and remembers his time at CHS fondly.

“He was definitely a very Catholic man, you could see that through the Masses,” Minvielle said. “They knew what they were doing when they put him in that position.

“I can’t imagine what it was like as the first lay principal, because that’s all we ever knew was the Christian brothers,” she added. “He was definitely my principal for my senior year (1997), I have nothing but great memories.”

Assistant Principal Erin Henry said she was actually hired by Cavalier, and has been employed at CHS ever since.

“He was always kind and gentle when he needed to be and direct when he needed to be,” Henry said. “With students as well as with teachers, I got a strong sense of fairness for sure.”

Minvielle described Cavalier as a very kind man who wanted the best for his students. Cavalier’s passion would extend well beyond his employment at CHS, and would attend CHS sports games wearing a signature red polo in support of the school.

Minvielle said Cavalier’s faith was evident in his vocation, and seeing the Catholic tradition grow and thrive at CHS was as important for Cavalier as it was for his forebears.

His career in education began as a coach for Scott High School and Acadiana High School, eventually becoming the principal of AHS and held that position for a decade.

He left that position to become the superintendent of schools for Iberia Parish in 1986, and then left to work at the state Department of Education before eventually becoming principal at CHS.

According to his obituary, Cavalier was asked by the Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette to become the first lay principal of St. Edward’s Elementary School, a job he held for two separate terms. After retirement, he continued to support Catholic schools in the area. Cavalier was a CCD teacher and longtime parishioner at Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church.

During his time at CHS, Minvielle said keeping the school’s Catholic tradition was a part of Cavalier’s mission.

“The Christian Brothers were a huge part of the school,” Minvielle said. “It was all about the tradition, and he kept the Catholicity going. He had great religion teachers that taught here and you would see him at every Mass.”

“He was always very mindful and respectful of the traditions,” Henry said. “He did everything to keep them healthy and alive and going.”

In many ways, Cavalier’s time as principal laid the groundwork for how future principals would behave.

“You have to run a Catholic school, faith is a great part of it because it’s something that we teach every day,” Minvielle said.