Church Point, LA:        Known to his family as "Papoose", "Uncle Bernice", "Parrain"; to others as "Mr. Bernice"; or "Mr. B" and "Guid"; to his wife as "Sweetheart"; to his sons as "Daddy" and his grand/great grandchildren as "Paw Bernice."
Born July 10, 1943 in the old Church Point Sanitarium to Noah (Noe') Guidry and Evelina Richard, Bernice was the youngest of five children and worked sharecropping with his family while attending Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Church Point Jr. High and High Schools. Always active and energetic, he remained a hard worker all of his life content to live simply by the work of his hands. After graduation from Church Point High School in 1961, Bernice worked in farming, painting and the oilfield before being drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam Era in 1965 serving on American bases in Europe, primarily in France where his ability to speak French was put to good use while he worked on aircraft. Upon honorable discharge in 1967, Bernice returned to Church Point where he met and later married on April 26, 1969 Mary Geraldine Higginbotham, daughter of Roosevelt Higginbotham and Yvonne Guidry. To this union were born two sons, Mitchell Gregory and Jody Matthew Guidry. As a young husband and father, Bernice left the oilfield to spend more time with his family and was employed by Church Point Wholesale for nearly 25 years, beginning as a truck driver and eventually became the frozen foods department shipping clerk. Bernice retired from the 'workforce in 2013 after having been employed by Richard's Cajun Foods for 18 years. A loyal, friendly and outgoing man always with a smile, Bernice had a deep faith, a positive demeanor, was humble, respectful, and believed in doing good for others. With his wife, Mary, he was active in the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart French Choir, Our Mother of Peace Parent Support Club, OLSH Altar Servers, OLSH Parish Council, and served as an Extraordinary Minster of the Holy Eucharist. A faithful Catholic and patriotic American, Bernice belonged to and was active in the Knights of Columbus, Woodmen of the World, Boy Scouts of America, the Catholic Committee on Scouting and was a proud member of the American Legion and Veterans
of Foreign Wars. He was a charter member of the Serra Club of Acadia Parish, made Cursillo #135 in 1981 in Prairie Ronde, and enjoyed annual weekend retreats at Our Lady of the Oaks in Grand Coteau and the Christian Life Center of St. Joseph Abbey near Covington. Bernice participated in the Church Point Centennial in 1973, the Saddle Tramp Riding Club, Church Point Mardi Gras, was a regular blood donor and a regular contributor to various religious, civic, and personal fundraisers in and around Church Point. Bernice was a family man who believed in being a good provider and enjoyed working and cooking outdoors. He loved visiting with his extended family, studying genealogy and local history, growing vegetables, raising chickens, guineas, rabbits, sheep, pigs and calves building his own sheds and pens. He hosted old-time boucheries at home and knew well the craft of making smoked sausage, boudin, tasso and cracklins. When he couldn't work outdoors, Bernice enjoyed baking cakes and pies and making candy. He taught his sons the value of hard work and a loving respect for the simple, rural life. Above all, he was the moral and spiritual head of his family, teaching his children right from wrong, using discipline as necessary, but always with an explanation of why he did so, leading family prayers and taking his family to Mass. He prayed the Rosary daily and taught his children by example to guide their lives by faith. He had his own opinions, but was willing to listen to others' points of view; if he disagreed with them, he did so respectfully. Diagnosed with colon cancer in 2015 and losing his wife in 2017, Bernice fought the good fight with his usual can-do attitude until June of this year when it became evident that his cancer had become more aggressive. "Mr. B" died in grace and peace in the early hours of the morning of October 24, 2019 at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Nursing Facility in Opelousas. Il etait content et fier d'etre un Cajun de Church Pointe! Bernice is survived by his sons, Fr. Mitchell Guidry of Ville Platte, Jody Guidry and wife Rachel of Opelousas; his grandchildren Tyler and Courtney Savoie of Sunset; his great-grandchildren Kaden Alberado and Paisley LaHaye of Sunset; his elder sister, Gladys G. Savoie of Church Point, elder brother Paul Guidry of Baton Rouge and twin sister, Bernadine G. Richard of Plaquemine; his brothers in law Rufus Higginbotham and wife Belinda and Clinton Higginbotham and wife Carolyn of Church Point; sisters in law Betty Levings of Baton Rouge and Glinda Thibodeaux of Lewisburg; mother in law, Yvonne G. Higginbotham of Church Point; his God-sons, Donald Savoie of Baton Rouge and Jeremy Higginbotham of Lewisburg; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Geraldine Higginbotham; his parents, Noah Guidry and Evelina Richard; his grandparents, Jean Baptiste Gustave Richard and Eve Guidry and Pierre Ecess Guidry and Josephine Colligan; his brother Howard "Blue" Guidry; his father-in-law, Roosevelt Higginbotham; his niece Erica Higginbotham Latiolais and great niece Rachel Lyons; his nephew Nicholas Thibodeaux and great nephew Tyler Thibodeaux; his brothers in law Austin Savoie, Russell Richard, Terry Higginbotham, Wayne Higginbotham and Patrick Thibodeaux; his sisters in law Rita R. Guidry and Anna C. Guidry. Bernice's family requests that visiting hours take place at Guidry Funeral Home in Church Point beginning at 1:00 pm Sunday, October 27 ending at 9:00 pm. The Rosary will be prayed at 7:00 pm by his son Fr. Mitchell Guidry. Visitation will resume at 9:00 am Monday, October 28 until the time of service at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church for his Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 pm. His body will be laid to rest until the Resurrection in the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Mausoleum on Hwy. 35 north of Church Point. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in Bernice's name to Our Mother of Peace Elementary, Church Point, La., St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College, St. Benedict, La., Our Lady of the Oaks Retreat Center, Grand Coteau, La., Disabled Veterans, Washington, DC or any veterans' charity of your choice.
Guidry Funeral Home, 219 N. Broadway Street, Church Point, LA 70525 www.guidryfuneralhome.com is in charge of final arrangements.