Beulah Leblanc Punch

Beulah LeBlanc Punch, born January 15, 1917, was surrounded by family when she peacefully entered into the Lord’s embrace at the age of 102 on December 7, 2019. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest J. LeBlanc and Bertile Guidry LeBlanc; her eldest son, Leroy J. Punch, Sr., and his wife, Shirley Cain Punch; her son-in-law, Vincent Lombardo, Sr.; her siblings, Anna Breaux, Wiley LeBlanc, Earline Gaubert, Mathilde Chaisson, and Lucille Savoie. Her husband of 56 years, John B. Punch, Sr., also preceded her in death. Beulah relished telling how he courted her by crossing Bayou Lafourche in a pirogue. She is survived by her children, John B. Punch, Jr. (Dottie), and Elaine Lombardo-Shows (Robert). Beulah is also survived by grandchildren, Rosalind Punch Gardner (Paul); Leroy Punch, Jr. (Suzanne); Vincent Lombardo, Jr. (Lisa); Bonnie Punch Cambre (Mark); Layne Punch (Jennifer); Marc Lombardo (Christine); and John B. Punch, III (Ashley). Survived by great-grandchildren, Cameron Gardner and Abigail Gardner; Andrew Punch, Kristen Punch and Evan Punch; Vincent Lombardo, III (Danielle), Blair Lombardo and Mason Lombardo; Gabrielle Gros; Blake Punch, Ethan Punch and Aidan Punch; Collin Lombardo, Elissa Lombardo, Julia Lombardo, Amelia Lombardo and Stephen Lombardo; and Madison Punch, Parker Punch and Kylee Punch. She had one great-great-grandchild, Vincent Lombardo, IV. Remarkably, she raised three families: her siblings after her Mother became ill; her own three children; and her oldest son, Leroy, and his wife, Shirley’s, children after their untimely death. She would say, “You do what you have to do and just go forward.” She was admirably resilient, never allowing the blows of life to deter her — in other words, she was quite the force of nature! She was a devout Catholic, chosen as Mother of the Year in 2016 at 99 years old, who attended Mass every Sunday, was a member of The Holy Guardian Angels Rosary Prayer Group, and said her rosary without fail each night; a meticulous homemaker; a fabulous cook who never saw the need to measure ingredients (her peanut butter fudge and shrimp stew were without compare); enjoyed gardening and mowed her own lawn well into her 80s; was always trying new hobbies from ceramics to porcelain doll-making; enjoyed traveling; was active in The Queen of Spades Garden Club, Chateau Dames Homemakers, and The Red Hatters; an avid reader who could devour a book in a day, if the mood struck; and involved in her community, working for many years as a Commissioner at the voting polls. Her most memorable advice was to treat family like friends and friends like family. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends. There are no buildings that bear her name, no monuments to honor her achievements, yet her family recognizes what a privilege it was for Beulah to have lived and loved to 102 years of age. How much more blessed can a person be? Beulah’s family would like to thank the physicians and nursing staff at West Jefferson Hospital for their excellent care and compassion. Please honor and celebrate her life at Holy Guardian Angels Church, 1701 Bridge City Avenue, Bridge City on Friday, December 13, 2019. The family requests visitation at the church be observed from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will commence at 1:30 p.m. Interment will be at Westlawn Cemetery, Gretna, LA. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in her memory to Father Flanagan’s Boys Town or a charity of your choice. MOTHE FUNERAL HOME is in charge of arrangements. Family and friends may offer condolences at mothefunerals.com.