JOHN LOUIS MENARD
“Coach Menard”
June 25, 1974 — June 7, 2019
The family of John Louis Menard, known best as Coach Menard, sadly announces the passing of their loved one on Friday, June 7, 2019, after a courageous battle against cancer. Coach Menard was 44 years old and left a beautiful legacy of family, love and laughter.
Coach Menard was a graduate of Berwick High School and later began his career there as a math teacher and coach. With hard work and dedication, he later became the Assistant Principal at that same school. Coach Menard loved his professional career of guiding students and would share his talents with the recreational sports in St. Mary Parish. Coach Menard also taught at both New Iberia Senior High and Morgan City High, until his illness. In both sports AND life, Coach Menard guided and taught the students of our area for 20 dedicated years. Coach Menard adored teaching young men and boys all sports, especially baseball. However, one year he did share his talent with BHS Girls Basketball. Coach Menard passed his love for sports and baseball to his son who is following in his footsteps. Quiet until you got to know him, Coach Menard had a beautiful spirit and personality that drew others to him. His laughter and wit brought many smiles to those around him. His strength and his faith made others stronger. His compassion and presence brought comfort. He was a wonderful and loving husband, father, brother and friend to so many people and leaves a legacy that will continue forever in the lives he touched.
Those left to cherish Coach Menard’s beautiful memory are his loving wife of 18 years, Nichole Lemoine Menard; his cherished children, Clay Thomas Menard and Mallory Claire Menard; his fur baby, Sport; his father, Herbert Menard; his two sisters, Cindy Dugas and her husband, George, and Doris Barbier and her husband, Brian; his brother, Nathan Menard and his wife, Denese; his mother-in-law, Ellen Lemoine; 10 brothers and sisters-in-law, Shawn, Denise and her husband, James, Amy and her husband, Tristan, Bernadette, Kristen and her husband, Jade, Philip, Felicia and her husband, Jason, Patrick, Rachel and her fiancé, Seth, and Mark. He is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by an unborn child; his mother, Winifred Menard; his nephew, Casey Galloway; his father-in-law, Glenn Lemoine; and his paternal and maternal grandparents.
The family requests that a time of visitation be observed on Monday, June 10th, 2019, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. with a rosary being prayed at 7 p.m. at Hargrave Funeral Home. Visitation will resume at Hargrave Funeral Home on Tuesday, June 11th, 2019, at 8 a.m. until time of dismissal. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Coach Menard on Tuesday, June 11th, 2019, at 11 a.m. at St. Stephen Catholic Church with Monsignor Douglas Courville officiating. Following services, Coach Menard will be laid to rest in the Berwick Mausoleum.
Acting as pallbearers will be Neil Barbier, Earl Galloway, Brian Barbier, Nathan Menard, Greg Grizzaffi, Kenny Williams, Paul Guilder and Brandon Bravata. Honorary pallbearers will be two of his godsons, Reid Perkins and Hayden Menard.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers that his family, friends and community please bless others, as Coach Menard and his family were blessed, by paying it forward in his memory to other individuals battling cancer.