Mary Alice Babineaux

Mary Alice Babineaux Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, September 1, 2012 at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Opelousas, LA, for Mary Alice Babineaux, 74, who entered eternal rest, Sunday, August 26, 2012 at Acadian Medical Center in Eunice, LA. Interment will be in St. John Francis Regis Catholic Cemetery in Arnaudville, LA. Rev. Jaison Mangalath, S.V.D. will officiate at the Mass of Christian burial. Of humble birth, she was the eldest of 7 children born to Louisiana sharecroppers, Amos Cluse, Sr. and Germaine Cluse. She was preceded in death by both of her beloved parents and by two of her siblings Philomen Jordan and Wesley Cluse. Mary Alice is survived by three sisters, Velma Broussard (Willard), Rosebell Lemelle (Joseph), Rose Ledet (Christopher) and one brother, Amos Cluse, Jr. (Veronica). She was united in marriage to the love of her life, Warren Babineaux, Jr. on February 15, 1958. Her new, big, family was led by Warren Babineaux, Sr. and Clementine Babineaux , both now deceased, who, including Mary Alice's new husband, had 14 children of their own, Berchman Babineaux (Joyce), Vincent Babineaux (Merline), Rose Guillory (Raymond), Merline Davis, Mary Ann Thierry, Clifton Babineaux (Gail), Jackie Perrodin (Junius), Patrick Babineaux (Rachel), all of whom survive Mary Alice. Five of her in-laws predeceased her, Elizabeth Savoie (Gabriel), Norma "Jeanie" Babineaux, Ira Mae Thibodeaux (Medrick), Earline Bihm (Lionel) and Howard Babineaux (Mae). Several years after the death of Clementine, Warren Sr. remarried and Mary Alice was blessed with a third mother, Mildred Boast Babineaux. In September of 1963, her definition of a "big" family would change again. Inspired by the Christian charity of her mother, after the births of two daughters, Cynthia (Steven Lewis) and Fatima, and while pregnant with a third, Claire (Barry Fontenot), Mary Alice realized that she was called to do more. During that faithful Fall in 1963, Mary Alice and Warren opened their home to children in need. And, despite the many challenges and struggles that come with a life that began with so little, she began to give so much. Over the course of her life, she was "Mom-Me" to over one hundred children (through birth, adoption and foster care). First came Ramona and Louis Harris, later Evelyn Biagase (Lawrence) and Martha Hamilton (deceased), still later, Jonathan (Sonya) and Robert Pommier, Charles, Karen and Kevin Ledet, Patrick and Henry Bob (deceased), Shaquanna "Baby Ne" Babineaux-Handy (Alfonzo), Meco, Tunisha Thomas (Chris) and Brandon Babineaux, Jerry Gillespie (Trudy), Rev. John and Michael Harris, Alex Tyler (Emily), Michael Williams (Shirley), Sonny and Ronald Malveaux, Anthony Johnson, Gabriel and Marcel Levine, Godfrey and Prince Morris (deceased), Shaun Green, Mark Jones, Allen Guillory (Valerie), Ronald Williams, Ranius Papillion, Bobbie Woods,(deceased) and Wilbur Harris (deceased). And, many unnamed, but cherished, others. People have often asked from whence came her strength? She had a quick response--Jesus. Mary Alice was a woman of Faith. When she visited local prisons as a Prison Minister, when she fed the poor both as a part of local charities and by giving out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to local children and adults, when she provided a cool drink to neighbors as they passed by on hot days, when she gave clothes to those without and provided shelter to the homeless, these things she did in His name. Though she is sometimes touted as a "Saint," the real miracle of Mary Alice Babineaux was that she was human, like the rest of us. She felt pain and heartache. She had fears, and, yes, even vices. But she was bestowed a mother's eyes that could not look past a child in need, and a mother's heart that had so much capacity that it could serve over 100 and still have room for "one more." Visiting hours will be observed from 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Friday, August 31, 2012 at Williams Funeral Home in Opelousas, LA. Visiting hours will resume on Saturday at 7:00 A.M. Share words of comfort with the Babineaux family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.net Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Williams Funeral Home of Opelousas, 337-942-2037.

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Mary Alice Babineaux

March 4, 1938 - August 26, 2012