Andrew Scafide

Andrew Joseph “A.J.” Scafide passed away at his daughter’s Houma residence on Sunday, Feb 15, 2015. He was 87 years old and died of natural causes. Visitation will be held on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015 from 6 to 8 pm at Chauvin Funeral Home and Friday from 10 to 11am at St. Eloi Catholic Church on Bayou Dularge. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 am, with burial in the church cemetery. He is survived by his sisters Mary Scafide Burns and Sandra Scafide Russell; his sons Gregory Scafide and Dr. Kyle Scafide; his daughters Gaynel Scafide Carroll, Debra Scafide Reed, Lynne Scafide Gibson and son-in-law Norman G. Gibson, III; 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives. A. J. was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Porche Scafide, his parents, Arthur and Katie Scafide, his brother, Arthur “Toby” Scafide, and his sister Rita Scafide Beninate. His granddaughter, Collette Reed, died at birth. Son of Arthur A. Scafide and Katie Pravatta Scafide, he was born in Bay St. Louis on Jan. 16, 1928. He graduated from St Stanislaus in May of 1945 and immediately joined the U.S. Navy., where he used his talents as a trombone player in the Navy marching band. After WWII ended and he was discharged, he attended first Tulane University, then L.S.U., where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in 1950. Shortly thereafter, he began working for National Supply Co., and he was transferred to Houma. He fell in love with one of the secretaries, Mary Etna Porche, whom he married in 1952. In the ensuing ten years, they had five children. They celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary just before Mary died Dec. 7, 2013. A. J. helped his wife open a kindergarten on Bayou Dularge in the 1960s. He and Mary are also remembered for opening up a women’s clothing store. For almost 20 years, he worked in the electronics business, but it was the last 10 years of his working career that he spent in his dream job at Santa Fe International as human resources manager. During these 10 years he lived in Lafayette, Tripoli (Libya), Oklahoma, and Dallas. He returned to Bayou Dularge when he retired. In recent years he moved to the city of Houma so that he and his wife could live closer to their children, grandchildren, and great-grand children. A. J. was an especially active member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Eloi , having been inducted years earlier in his late teens. He was a volunteer for the fire department. He started a cub scout group on Bayou Dularge in the 1970s and served as the first Cub Master. For many years, after he retired, he served as an election poll commissioner. Most of all, A. J. will be remembered for his smile, his charm, his intelligence, and his grace. He was fiercely protective of his family, and loyal to his loved ones. He will be greatly missed.