H. L. Cessac, 93, of Beaumont died Tuesday, June 22, 2004 at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital after a brief illness.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 25, at St. Anthony Cathedral under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumont with burial to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. A Christian Vigil will be held 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening, June 24, at the mortuary.
He was born in Jeanerette, Louisiana on September 22, 1910 and moved to Beaumont as a young man where he met and married Mary M. Barclay. They were married on June 18, 1941 and soon after he reported to military duty with the U. S. Navy. He served for four years on an aircraft carrier. After returning home from the war, he and his beloved wife, Mary raised four children: Janis, Leonard, Phyllis and Teresa.
H. L., as he was known to most of his friends, began a long career with the Stedman Fruit Co. He liked to say when he was 16 years old he began by sweeping floors and continued to work there until 1975. During his tenure he managed various departments and eventually became vice-president of the Quality Stamp Co. of Texas.
After retirement some 48 years later, he and Mary purchased Bevil Florist of Beaumont. During that time of managing Bevil Florist, the grandchildren grew up and H. L. and Mary readied themselves for the next generation. His daughter, Phyllis Pope took over the business while H. L. and Mary began tending to the “business” of the great-grandchildren, some fifteen in all. He lost his life-partner, Mary, in 1999 and had recently moved to Sabine Oaks Assisted Living where he continued his faithful commitment to his family and friends via telephone conversations.
His epitaph will read “He Loved His Family”. Anyone who knew him will agrees that he loved them in “deed and truth”, which exemplified his Christian faith. At the time of his death, he was a member in good standing at St. Anthony Cathedral.
He is survived by three children: son, Leonard Cessac and his wife, Helen and daughters, Phyllis Pope and her husband, Bobby of Beaumont and Teresa Callahan and her husband, Bill, of Friendswood; grandchildren, Len Cessac, Blythe Cessac, Elizabeth Cessac, Emily Alloway, Kevin Saurage and his wife Andrea, Clint Saurage and his wife Debbie, Cade Saurage and his wife Nikki, Keri Rice and her husband Greg, Jenny McLeod and her husband Chad, Aaron Pope, Trey Callahan and Jordan Callahan; fifteen great-grandchildren; nephew, Alex Cessac, Jr.; and nieces, Sylvia Britt, Virginia Broussard and Elsie Buchanan.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Anthony Cathedral, P. O. Box 3309, Beaumont, Texas 77704
