Obituary: Louis B. Roth, Jr. – Football 1951-55, Veteran 1955-79, Faculty/Staff 1970-90 – 10/13/2020

August 26, 1931 – October 13, 2020

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, October 16, 2020, at 11:00 am at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home in Lafayette for Louis B. Roth, Jr., 89, who passed away Tuesday, October 13th at his residence in Lafayette.

Visitation will be observed on Thursday, October 15th from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm and resumes Friday, October 16th at 9:00 am until the time of service, at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home.

A rosary will be recited Thursday, October 15th at 7:00 pm at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home.

Interment will follow in Fountain Memorial Cemetery in Lafayette.

Reverend Bryce Sibley, Pastor of Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church in Lafayette, will officiate.

Louis was born on August 26, 1931, in Baton Rouge and was a life-long resident of Acadiana. He graduated from Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge and attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now ULL, on a football scholarship and earned a bachelor’s degree in education. Louis later graduated from Louisiana State University where he obtained both a master’s degree and a doctorate degree in education. A proud veteran, Louis served as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force for three years and in the Air Force Reserve for 20 years, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Louis worked for the State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation of Baton Rouge for 10 years. He then became the Director of Continuing Education for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette until his retirement.

Louis was active in his community and was honored to serve as a member of the police jury of Lafayette for four years. He was a long-time parishioner of Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church in Lafayette.

Louis was recognized in the ULL Football Hall of Fame and was a member of the ULL Alumni Association. He was a proud supporter of the ULL Ragin’ Cajuns and the Boston Red Sox.

In 1954, Louis married the love of his life, his best friend, his wife, Margaret, “the prettiest girl in Baton Rouge”. They cherished the memories made while traveling through all 50 states in the United States. His greatest joy was his family and he leaves behind a legacy of loved family members.

Louis is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Margaret Donellan Roth of Lafayette; four sons, Louis G. Roth and his wife, Pauline of Lafayette, Russell "Rusty" Roth and his wife, Lori of Marietta, GA, Stephen “Matt” Roth and his wife, Gerilyn of Lafayette and Charles "Chuck" Roth of New Orleans; three daughters, Melanie Roth Fachan and her husband, Greg of Lafayette, Laurie Roth Pennington and her husband, Dennis of Maurice and Jennifer "Winkie" Roth of Lafayette; three sisters, Rosemary Lawless of Greenwell Springs, Rita McKee and her husband, Robert of Baton Rouge and Bernice "Bunny" Roth of Seymour, MO; one brother, James Roth and his wife, Myrtle of Baton Rouge; 16 grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis Boissac Roth and Agnes Greely Roth; one daughter, Cynthia Elizabeth Roth and two sisters, Eunice Persick and Sally Delatte.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Acadian Hospice for the compassionate care given to Louis and his family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Louis’ name to Boys Hope Girls Hope of New Orleans by mail at P.O. Box 19307, New Orleans, LA, 70179, by phone at 504-484-7744, by email at neworleans@bhgh.org or online at www.bhghnola.org or to Acadian Hospice and Palliative Care by mail at 413 Travis St. UNIT 100, Lafayette, LA, 70503 or by phone at 337-500-1763.

With regards to the most recent mandates of the current pandemic, social distancing and masks are required for all gatherings in the funeral home and in the cemetery.

Online obituary and guestbook may be viewed at www.fountainmemorialfuneralhome.com.

Fountain Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery, 1010 Pandora Street, 337-981-7098 is in charge of arrangements.

Athletic Network Footnotes by Dr. Ed Dugas. Appreciation is expressed to Bruce Brown, Dan McDonald, and Matt Roth for their timely communications with the Athletic Network.

Click here for the Athletic Network profile of Lou "Burro" Roth, Jr.

Click here for a photo of Margaret and Lou proudly displaying their Athletic Network bumper sticker at the June 18, 2009 Athletic Network annual meeting.

Click here for the 2002 AN Tailgating Photo Gallery featuring Lou and several of his SLI football teammates.

Click here for the 1952 Football Photo Gallery which features Lou and his teammates who enjoyed an outstanding season.

Click here for the dedication of the Louis Roth Running Back Meeting Room on Nov. 28, 2016.

Lou was an outstanding athlete, but more importantly he was a wonderful person. We were on the faculty together from 1970-90 and had many joint endeavors. I can’t ever recall leaving a meeting with Lou when I didn’t feel good about our interaction. When he directed the Conference Center and I was an HPE administrator, we cooperatively booked some of our classes in that facility. He was good to work with and, in the end, hoped that our joint decisions were good for both programs…they usually were because of him. 

Our condolences to his family and friends.