Joseph O. Bienvenu's Obituary
Joseph O. Bienvenu, 95, husband, father and grandfather, peacefully passed away on June 30, 2018. Joe was born February 19, 1923, in St. Martinville, La., to Ovide and Cecile Collins Bienvenu. He served his country in World War II as an Ensign aboard the U.S. LST 544 in the Pacific area. His naval schools included Baylor University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Northwestern University. Joe became a chemist with Morton Chemical Company, a division of Morton Salt Company, in Weeks Island, La. In 1957, he married Shirley Romero of New Iberia, La. The couple moved to Kilgore, Tx in 1960 to begin Joe’s thirty-year career with the Bareco Wax Division of Petrolite Corporation. He is the inventor and author of several U.S. Patents relating to hydrocarbons. Joe also served as a Sunday School teacher for St. Anthony and St. Mary Catholic Churches in Longview for twenty years.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Marie Talley, Camille Bienvenu, Jeanne Dugas and Mildred Maraist.
Joe is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Shirley; his daughters, Joellyn and son-in-law, David Custead of Ft. Worth, Tx; Karen and son-in-law, Vincent Dulweber of Longview, Tx; Jean Mosby of Longview, Tx; his beloved grandchildren Daniel Custead of Falls Church, Va.; Marie Custead of Nacogdoches, Tx, and Amy Custead of Ft. Worth, Tx; Katherine and husband, Mike Lehr of Annapolis, Md; Lauren and husband, Jake Brown of Ft. Worth, Tx; two great grandchildren; and several cherished nieces and nephews. He is also survived by brother-in-law Marcel Maraist of St. Paul, Mn.
Services will be held Saturday, July 7, at St. Mary’s Church in Longview, Tx. A rosary will begin at 11:30 am, followed by visitation at 12:00 pm, and Mass of Christian Burial at 12:30 pm. Interment will follow at Rosewood Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church or St. Mary’s School Endowment Fund , 2108 Ridgewood Drive, Longview, TX 75605.
What’s your fondest memory of Joseph?
What’s a lesson you learned from Joseph?
Share a story where Joseph's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Joseph you’ll never forget.
How did Joseph make you smile?
