Ferdinard Walter Nodier Obituary

Ferdinard Walter Nodier attended Warren Easton High School in New Orleans, LA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Ferdinard Walter Nodier.

Graduation Year	Class of 1951
Date of Passing	Oct 28, 2019
About	Ferdinand "Fred" Walter Nodier, 86, passed away peacefully on October 28, 2019, surrounded by his family. Fred was born in New Orleans on Nov. 9, 1932. He was proud to have grown up a few blocks from City Park, where he ate French bread and drank chicory coffee every morning of his childhood, where his father helped build some of the most beautiful mausoleums in the Metairie Cemetery and where famed track coach Tad Gormley gave him his first pole-vaulting pole. Fred graduated from Warren Easton High School class of 1951 and attended LSU on a pole-vaulting scholarship. He represented LSU at the 1954 Drake Relays, where he took first place. In 1955 he was drafted into the Army. He coached the Army track team while stationed in Germany. An article about the team in the "Stars and Stripes" newspaper attracted the attention of the McNeese State University track coach, who offered Fred a scholarship after his time in the Army ended. Fred began at McNeese in 1956. While there, he served as president of the student body and met his wife, Jeannette "Dena" Christ. Both were members of the Newman Club, an organization of Catholic Students. He and Dena were married Nov. 5, 1960. After college, Fred began work as a supervisor at what was then called South Central Bell. In his 35 years with the company, Fred held many posts in cities all over south Louisiana. From 1969 to 1974, he was district manager of the Lake Charles area, which included Crowley, DeRidder and Leesville. During that time, he also served as president of the McNeese Alumni Association and president of the Our Lady Queen of Heaven's Parent/Teacher Committee. Later in his career, Fred represented South Central Bell at the 1984 World's Fair and was general manager of the 1988 Republican National Convention, responsible for providing communications to the convention. In 1989, he and Dena attended the inauguration of President George H.W. Bush with front-row seats. The couple was also involved in Mardi Gras, both in Washington and New Orleans. In New Orleans, Fred was a member of the Krewe of Bacchus from1982 to 2017. Fred was very involved in his company's volunteer organization, the Louisiana Pioneer Club. He served as president of his chapter in 1987, and under his leadership, they won chapter of the Year over 135 Pioneer Chapters in the United States and Canada. When he retired from the phone company in 1994, Fred was vice president of community and corporate affairs, reporting directly to the president. After retirement, Fred and Dena moved back to Lake Charles and built their dream home overlooking Bayou Contraband. They travelled the world, visiting France, England, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Russia, Sweden, Alaska, Hawaii, Turkey and more. Fred was also an avid golfer, fisherman and duck hunter. Throughout his adult life, he was a dedicated community volunteer in various organizations, including The Boy Scouts of America, The Optimist Club and the Lake Charles Rotarians, with whom he was especially proud to serve. In 2005 he began volunteering for the Autism Services of South West Louisiana, which operates homes for adults with autism. For this organization he served on the board, where he was vice president for 9 years and was named Member Emeritus in 2018. Fred is preceded in death by his devoted wife Dena. For 55 years, their relationship reflected love, mutual respect, complete devotion and enjoyment of life. He was an amazing father to their four children and their spouses, Michael and Connie Nodier, Jeannette and Ron Horan, Dianne and Curt Eysink, and Matthew and Alison Nodier. He was a loving Papa to nine grandchildren, Robert and David Nodier, Luke and Zachary Horan, Samantha, Maxwell and Adelaide Eysink, and Jack and Anna Kathryn Nodier. Fred had a calm demeanor and was a true southern gentleman. He excelled at communications, and his optimism and wisdom were sought out by many. He was proud of and is survived by his siblings Joan Creson, Frank Nodier and Shirley Gibson, all of New Orleans. In addition to Dena, he is preceded in death by his parents Ferdinand and Estelle Lipps Nodier and his son-in-law Curt Eysink. His family would like to express gratitude for the kindness provided by the many caregivers in his life. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Saturday, November 2, 2019 in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Lake Charles, LA. Monsignor Jace Eskind will officiate. Visitation will be at Johnson Funeral Home of Lake Charles on Friday, November 1 from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM with a rosary being recited by the family at 6:00 PM. Visitation will continue, on Saturday from 9:00 AM until 10:15 AM. Burial will follow at Consolata Cemetery under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home.