From: Mitch Billeaud <mbilleaud@gmail.com>
Date: August 5, 2010 1:08:31 PM CDT
Memorial and Celebration
Reply-To: mbilleaud@gmail.com
Hello Again,
Let me start this email by saying how touching and affirming it has been to
receive so many messages of sympathy and condolence. Many of you have related
the same genuine sentiments that Dad used to heap upon you at the dinner table.
To see and feel love flowing so freely, and in both directions is, for lack of
better words, inspiring.
Your outpouring of emotions and love have motivated us to plan the very best
memorial service and celebration of my dad's life that we possibly can, so we
hope you will all be able to share it with us in New Orleans. The plan is as
follows.
A Memorial for
Richard Duffy Billeaud, Sr.
3/16/1939 - 8/3/2010
at
The Saint Louis Cathedral
New Orleans, Louisiana
http://www.stlouiscathedral.org/
Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 3pm in the afternoon
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association on our dad’s behalf. You can donate by clicking the link below.
We have blocked 50 rooms at the Omni Royal Orleans in the French Quarter. The
block is reserved under "The Billeaud Celebration". The rooms are $130 - $150
per night (plus tax), depending on whether you choose a Petite Queen, Queen, or
King room. The hotel has been very helpful.
Omni Royal Orleans
621 St. Louis Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70140
Phone: (504) 529-5333, Fax: (504) 529-7089
http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/NewOrleansRoyalOrleans.aspx
We will be departing the Omni at 2:30pm in the afternoon and following a
traditional New Orleans Jazz Procession for two blocks, through the French
Quarter, to the Cathedral. A Notre Dame classmate and friend of Dad's, Father
Denis O’Shaughnessy, will be performing the Ceremony, and we are thankful he
will make it from Florida to participate. After the ceremony, we will follow the
Jazz Procession back to the hotel for a grand celebration that Dad would be
proud of.
Though the typical 14 day price cutoff for plane flights is today, you will not
be able to book your hotel rooms until Saturday (8/7). If you call, and we have
underestimated the number of people who will be coming, the Omni should still be
able to accommodate you. Please let us know if you run into any trouble with
your hotel reservations, and we will do whatever we can to help. The block is
for Thursday night and Friday night (checking out on Saturday), but the block is
set up so that you can extend to Saturday night if you want to stay in New
Orleans until Sunday.
If possible, please RSVP if you plan to attend to mbilleaud@gmail.com, or, if you are receiving this email directly from me, just click reply.
Despite the circumstances, we are really looking forward to New Orleans, and to celebrating the life of our wonderful dad with you.
Joseph
Mitch, Gena, Liam and Beckett
Rich, Joanie, Trip and Caroline
Billeaud