Obituary: John Stafford Stutes Sr., Friend of Athletic Network – May 19, 2014

John Stafford Stutes, Sr.

May 14, 21923 – May 19, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARENCRO ~ Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 22, 2014 at a 2:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial in Carencro – Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 22, 2014 at a 2:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial in Evangeline Memorial Gardens Chapel in Carencro for John Stafford Stutes, Sr., age 91, who passed away Monday, May 19, 2014 at 10:35 p.m. at his residence in Carencro.

Interment will be in Evangeline Memorial Gardens in Carencro. The Rev. Gary Schexnayder, pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Lafayette, will officiate at the services.

Mr. Stutes was born May 14th, 1923. He was a native of Lafayette and a resident of Carencro since 1960. Mr. Stutes served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1945 during World War II. During that time, he was the U.S. Army Featherweight Boxing Champion for 1941, 1942, 1943. He traveled France, Belgium and most of the European countries during his time in World War II.

Mr. Stutes worked for the Southern Pacific Rail Road for thirty-one years. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, coached little league baseball, was commander of Post 9822 Judice VFW District Commander. He trained the Olympic team. Mr. Stutes was a parishioner of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church in Carencro. He was a member of the Bonne Mort Society, Knights of Columbus, made his Cursillo, was in the American Legion, was Commander of the Carencro War Vets, and was an Army veteran.

He was inducted into the USA SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION BOXING HALL OF FAME in 2003 and into the NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES BOXING HALL OF FAME IN 1991.

As a boxing trainer he led the LOUISIANA TEAM to win the SUGAR RAY LEONARD GOLDEN GLOVES TOURNAMENT against all 50 states in the early 1980’s. In 1982 he captained the Louisiana Golden Gloves team to the National Golden Gloves in Kansas City, Kansas to produce a remarkable three national boxing Golden Gloves champions in Timmy Rabon, Shelton Leblanc, and Roman George, a feat never duplicated.

He has worked with illustrious former world professional boxing champions Oscar De LaHoya, Sugar Shane Mosely, and Chris Byrd as amateurs. He has worked with numerous professional boxers who all retired with winning records from Louisiana in Dary Ray Sampy, Timmy Rabon, Kenny Vice, Roman George, Shelton Leblanc, Blake Prevost, Jeremy Duplechain, Boyd Trahan, Bobby Aucoin, Darrel Savoy and including Billy White and James Cooper from St. Louis, Missouri who were both national boxing amateur champions in their own right. The list is endless as he produced champions from all over the country and improved the lives of many young men and women.

He is known to create the first Golden Gloves Female Champion in the state of Louisiana. Boxers traveled from across the world to be trained by ‘Coach Stutes’.

Survivors include his wife of sixty-eight years , Rowena L. Bellot Stutes of Carencro; two sons, John S. Stutes, Jr. of Cecilia and Clebe Oneil Stutes and his wife, Gladys, of Broussard; one son-in-law, Michael Langlinais of Carencro; five daughters, Dorothy Angelle and her husband, Tommy, of Carencro, Sheila Stanley of Arnaudville, Rowena Ashford and her husband, Jeff, of Prairieville, Charlene Williams of Carencro and Melinda LeBlanc and her husband, Joe, of Duson; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clebe Felix Stutes and the former, Eliza Jane Chiasson, both natives of Carencro; his wife’s parents, Oneil and Anges Bellot; one son-in-law, Robert Stanley; one daughter, Kathy Langlinais; one daughter-in-law, Pamela Stutes; one brother-in-law, Merrick Guidry; one sister, Dorothy Guidry; and one niece, Dorothy Guidry Baronet.

A rosary will be prayed at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home.

The family requests that visiting hours be observed from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Wednesday and will continue from 8:00 a.m. until service time on Thursday.

Pallbearers will be John Stutes, Jr., Clebe Stutes, Tommy Angelle, Sr., Jeffery Ashford, Joseph LeBlanc and Shelton LeBlanc. Honorary pallbearers will be his grandsons and Stutes’ Boxing Club.

The family would like to thank the staff of Heart of Hospice and his caretakers, Edmonia Nelson and Sheryl Kloppenborg for the care given to Mr. Stutes during his illness. Melancon Funeral Home, Evangeline Memorial Gardens Chapel, 4117 N. University Ave., Carencro, (337) 896-3232, is in charge of arrangements.