“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Terrance Bernard “Terry” Rabalais, Sr. passed away Saturday, February 6, 2021 at the age of 83. He is survived by his devoted wife of 60 years, Mavis Watts Rabalais; three children, Terrance B. “Toby” Rabalais, Jr. and wife Dionne, Angela “Angie” Rome and husband Greg, Todd L. Rabalais, all of Baton Rouge; three grandchildren, Zoe Rome, Zachary Rome, and Zayne Rome; brother, Ned Rabalais of Walker, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Rose Lemoine Rabalais of Plaucheville, LA; brothers, Ryan Rabalais and Donald Rabalais; sister, Nedra Lemoine.

He married Mavis in 1961 and raised his family in Baton Rouge, eventually deciding on a quiet, peaceful life in French Settlement. He believed strongly in the values of our country and proudly served in the United States Army as a Sergeant until being honorably discharged in 1967.

Terry was raised on a small farm in Plaucheville, LA and grew up loving the outdoors all of his life. His passion for outdoors led him to appreciate Louisiana’s Sportsman’s Paradise. For forty years he made it his personal safari exploring the mouth of the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico which he referred to as a “Wonderland for Naturalists.” Terry enjoyed running airboats, duck hunting, fishing, shrimping, and spear fishing with his sons, Toby and Todd. He cherished these memories with many of his friends and would often recall all of his wonderful marshland adventures.

He was a member of the Gonzales Hunting Club, American Legion, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. A funeral mass will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in French Settlement at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 13, 2021. *Masks are required*. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Terry’s honor to the St. Joseph Catholic Bell Tower Fund (15710 LA Hwy 16, French Settlement, LA 70733) or St. Jude’s Children Hospital. To offer condolences to the family, please visit www.churchfuneralservices.com . Arrangements entrusted with Church Funeral Services of St. Amant.