Dr. Francis Harold "Chip" Metz Jr.

Dr. Francis Harold “Chip” Metz Jr., 87, of Morgan City, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Ochsner St. Mary, surrounded by his family and friends.
Chip was born on April 13, 1939, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Dr. Francis Harold Metz Sr. and Earleria “Dupie” Duplantis Metz. He was a lifelong resident of Morgan City and a proud graduate of Morgan City High School, Class of 1956.
From an early age, Chip had a warm, social spirit and a gift for connecting with people. Growing up, he and his siblings shared plenty of laughter and mischief, much of it dreamed up by Chip and his older brother, Donald, with his sister Teresa often on the receiving end of her big brothers’ antics. He loved his mother tremendously. He tested her patience more than once, and she met him with understanding, becoming one of the first people to truly know him. Among his fondest childhood memories were the house calls he made with his father to visit patients. He would often come home with a dirty shirt, a full belly, and containers of food for his mom, an early glimpse of the life of service that lay ahead.
After high school, Chip attended Louisiana State University before receiving a scholarship to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Though his time there was brief, he left a lasting impression on those around him. He returned to South Louisiana, graduated from LSU, and went on to medical school in New Orleans. It was there that his lifelong love of sailing began, fittingly, with a $2 bet on a long shot mare, Tom’s Gable, at the New Orleans Fair Grounds that paid off by 16 lengths and he bought a beat-up, sunken boat at the Pontchartrain Marina.
Most importantly, it was during these years that he met his lifelong best friend, Patsy, a spirited Delta Airlines flight attendant from North Louisiana. They were married on August 20, 1966, at St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square, and made their first home in New Orleans while Chip completed his residency at Charity Hospital. He quickly introduced Patsy to all his curiosities and knew he had found his lifelong partner for every adventure. She was the ultimate trooper and loved him beyond measure.
After completing internships across the country, Chip and Patsy returned to his hometown, where he followed in his father’s footsteps as Dr. F.H. Metz Jr. and opened his Family Medicine practice. It was in these years that his deep devotion to serving his community truly took root. He was known to accept a mess of fish as payment at times, and his care for his patients reached well beyond the walls of his office. Many described him simply as a good man, a great doctor, and a kind person, though he never sought recognition. In 1989, he transitioned to emergency medicine at Lakewood Hospital, and in 1990 he was elected St. Mary Parish Coroner, a role he faithfully held for 28 years. “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3.
Chip and Patsy raised their three children, Chuck, Margaret, and Gwen, in the same home where he grew up, filling it with his zest for life, love of nature, and endless curiosity about people. However busy his schedule, he was a present father, whether on the sidelines chasing the perfect action shot, standing in the gym doorway in his scrubs to catch the last set, or catching a quick nap in his sunglasses at a tennis match after a long shift.
Chip and Patsy didn’t shy from exposing their children to the way they experienced and saw life. In addition to being with the entire family, Chip took many one-on-one trips with each child, allowing for an up close and personal view of his vision. He never strayed from meeting new people, he would always strike up conversations with the locals, and an adventure off the beaten path was a must. He taught them to live life to the fullest, to not waste time, but also to be present in the moment and to be kind. Both he and Patsy would often remark their greatest masterpiece was raising these kids.
A natural teacher, Chip loved to ask questions and share what he knew, always hoping others could see the world the way he did. His curiosity was boundless. He was a man of many hobbies, and with each one he immersed himself fully. Most would see him as mastering them, but he was never satisfied and always wanted to better himself. Above all, he was rarely without a camera, always searching for the one photograph that captured a moment perfectly. Photography became a family tradition, with Patsy, Chuck, Margaret, and Gwen, or even a random passerby as his favorite subjects. Countless hours were spent in his dark room developing his own masterpieces with his children and sometimes even their friends.
His love of nature created a space for him to disconnect and more often than not, he could be found with a fishing rod in hand on a boat somewhere near the Atchafalaya Bay, in a Louisiana marsh duck blind, in a random open field training his labs, in the virgin woods of St. Francisville or right in his own backyard gardening, raising orchids, planting fields of wildflowers or growing vegetables. His family and friends were always along for the experience.
A new audience emerged when his grandchildren came into the picture. He was one of the best storytellers, most likely because they were the stories he lived. During family gatherings, his stories would captivate them, make them chuckle, and would leave them in awe, sometimes even shaking their head in disbelief. They adored him almost as much as he adored them.
Chip’s faith in the Catholic Church was always present. Maybe in a more unconventional way, while in nature, he felt the presence of God: in an Atchafalaya River sunrise, a sunset over Bayou Teche, or the morning dew on an open field. It wasn’t until life slowed down, that Chip made his way back to church, becoming a regular at Saturday afternoon masses and receiving the Holy eucharist at Sacred Heart Church.
Chip lived a vivacious life, never wasted a moment just watching the bushes grow and wanted anyone in his circle to experience his life with him. Those lucky enough to be a part of his adventures were impacted and walked away with their own stories to tell. As Chip’s life began to slow, his adventures became fewer, but he wasn’t removed from the action. He was able to sit back and observe what he and Patsy had created together. In the end, listening to his children and grandchildren tell their stories of adventure and mischief became his final hobby.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his devoted, loving, and patient wife of 60 years, Patricia “Patsy” Crawford Metz; three children, Dr. Francis Harold “Chuck” Metz III and wife Erin, Margaret Metz Theriot and husband Scott, Gwendolyn Metz Foreman and husband John, grandchildren, Martin Metz, Sanders Foreman, William Foreman, Nathan Theriot, Bennett Foreman, Thomas Theriot, Ayden Metz, Shannon Theriot Artigue, Mary Grace Theriot, Stephen Theriot; sister, Theresa Fraser, nieces and nephews, and his beloved dog, Rocky.
Chip was preceded in death by his parents, Francis and Dupie Metz; brother, Donald Joseph Metz.
The family would like to extend appreciation to the nurses and doctors at the Medicine Clinic of Morgan City, the entire staff at Ochsner Medical of St. Mary, and to his loyal and loving caregivers Darlene Carter, Christina Williams, and Leisha Babin.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, October 12, 2026, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father John officiating. Visitation will be held Monday, October 12, 2026, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church from 9:00 a.m., until the time of Mass.
Pallbearers will be Martin Metz, Sanders Foreman, William Foreman, Nathan Theriot, Bennett Foreman, Thomas Theriot, Ayden Metz, Scott Theriot, John Foreman, Stephen Theriot, and Joe Metz. Honorary pallbearers will be Peter “Dutch” VandenAardweg, Dr. Michael Kadair, Pat Butler, Dr. Quentin Falgout and Greg Smith.