Donna Maillet

Ms. Donna Jane Maillet, our beloved Nonna, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 14, 2022 at the age of 84, in the presence of her two daughters and in the prayers of her family. Nonna was born on June 16, 1938, in Dr. Ducote’s home in Bordelonville, LA. She is preceded in death by her parents, Cecilia and Kermit Maillet, and her sister, who passed away at birth. She is survived by her two daughters, Lauri (Glen) Burke and Terri (Deryl) Guillory, two brothers, Tim (Sharon) Maillet and Keith (Bonnie) Maillet, and one sister Connie Maillet. She has 4 grandchildren, Jessica (Brad) Leger, Sara (Jake) Wallace, Thomas Guillory (Heather), and Bryan Burke, as well as a host of nieces and nephews.

Nonna cherished her grandchildren to whom she devoted countless days and nights of babysitting. Her greatest blessings, however, were her 5 great grandchildren, Gavin and Amelie Wallace and Reid, Colt, and Jax Leger. When her first great grandchild was born, she spent his first 3 months caring for him in Lafayette. You could call her at 2 am and ask her to babysit for 6 am, and she would happily make the drive to Lafayette in the middle of the night. As she had more great grandchildren, she continued on the same path, until they all eventually moved back home to Bordelonville and were within 5 minutes of her home.

Nonna was always known for her love of cooking. She very much enjoyed whipping up a batch of pralines or homemade caramel cake, and she never missed a church cake sale. Fried chicken, fresh green beans with slab bacon from her favorite pressure cooker, langue de boeuf, golden chicken spaghetti, blackberry cobbler, fudge cake, tee gateau sec, and of course, sausage bread were some of her staples. Any and everything was made with love and from scratch. The only exception being the tubs and tubs of cookie dough she would go through from the many visits and sleepovers with her grandchildren. Her cookie pan is still used today.

Nonna dedicated her life to serving others, following in the family footsteps as an educator who impacted the lives of thousands of students through the years. She graduated from SLI (Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning) in 1959, currently ULL. She was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, a professional teacher sorority. During her 40 plus years of teaching, Nonna taught at Breaux Bridge Elementary from 1959-1960, Simmesport Elementary from 1963-1964, and Bordelonville High School from 1966-1984, after which she retired from the Avoyelles Parish School Board. In 1988, Nonna returned to work at St. Mary’s Catholic Assumption School, where she taught both 2nd and 3rd grades. In that time, she brought her grandchildren to school with her, a daily drive so cherished by her. In 2000, Nonna retired again, but teaching was so ingrained in her that from 2000-2012, she worked for Avoyelles Parish Public School Board as a return-to-work retiree.

Nonna enjoyed everything about life in Bordelonville, especially her church, St. Peter’s. She was a member of the church choir, a lector, CCD teacher, and an avid supporter of all church functions. She loved the Blessed Virgin Mary and was known to pray the Hail Mary and Rosary multiple times a day.

In addition to her religious devotion, she always enjoyed sharing her home and pool with friends and family. She hosted many pool parties, and always had a freezer full of homemade ice cream and ice cold popsicles.

She came from Acadian ancestry, and loved her family name, Maillet. Family and togetherness were so important to her. She hosted many family reunions and always made sure that everyone was included.

She was a world traveler who shared her journeys with her family and friends by taking thousands of photos and would always bring home a magnet of the state or country she visited to document her travels. She brought her grandchildren to Mardi Gras every year and always wore the same purple, green, and gold striped shirt. Christmas was her favorite time of year and was never complete without banana banshees and watching the holiday classics.

Our family would like to thank Oakmont Assisted Living, Avoyelles Manor Nursing Home, and Compassionate Care Hospice for their loving care of Nonna. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to St. Peter’s Catholic Church.

Funeral Mass for Donna Jane Maillet of Moreauville will take place at the St. Peter’s Catholic Church of Bordelonville on Wednesday, August 17th, 2022 beginning at 11:00am with Rev. Louis Sklar officiating. Burial will take place at the St. Peter Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 8:00am at the St. Peter Catholic Church Hall of Bordelonville on Wednesday, August 17th, 2022 and last until time of services.