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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life made rich through meaningful service drew to |
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a close with the passing of esteemed restaurateur A. J. Leger of |
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Beaumont on May 31, 2011, at the age of 71; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, on May 1, 1940, |
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Mr. Leger began working at the age of 10, delivering both the |
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morning and evening newspapers; he embarked on a 50-year career |
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with Don's Seafood and Steakhouse as a 12-year-old busboy at the |
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Lafayette restaurant; graduating from Lafayette High School, he |
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served his country in the United States Marine Corps for six years |
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before returning to Don's Seafood as kitchen manager; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Leger moved to the restaurant's Baton Rouge |
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location as a kitchen manager and then opened a Don's in Shreveport |
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in 1965; three years later, he built a new Don's Seafood in Beaumont |
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and was both a working partner and manager; the restaurant became |
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one of the city's most successful establishments and Mr. Leger |
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received numerous accolades; in 1974, he was named Outstanding |
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Restaurateur Sabine Area Chapter by the Texas Restaurant |
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Association, and in 1997, the Texas Restaurant Association inducted |
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him into its Hall of Honor; he retired from the business in 2002 and |
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then worked for six years at Kymoco Signs and Graphics; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than four decades, Mr. Leger was an active |
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member of the Sabine Area Restaurant Association, and he served as |
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its president in 1979; he was a founding member of the Taste of the |
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Triangle and served as chair and honorary chair, and SARA dedicated |
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the event to him in 1991; above all, he enjoyed cooking for |
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community events, including fund-raisers for the Young Men's |
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Business League, the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, the City |
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of Beaumont, the Fire Museum of Texas, and Boys' Haven; famous for |
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his gumbo, he estimated, with characteristic humor, that he had |
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cooked enough of it to float a battleship; he also served on the |
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boards of Boys' Haven, the Fire Museum, and Cooks 2 Dozen Plus, |
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among other organizations; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan enjoyed a long and happy marriage |
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to his high school sweetheart, the former Patricia Guidry, and he |
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was devoted to his daughters, Rhonda, Angie, and Jodie, his |
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grandchildren, Ashley, Kyleigh, Morgan, Cody, Drew, and Mason, and |
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his many friends; in his leisure, he enjoyed golfing, hunting, and |
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gardening; and |
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WHEREAS, A. J. Leger made a positive difference in his |
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community and enriched the lives of innumerable people through his |
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kindness and joie de vivre; although he is deeply missed, treasured |
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memories of time spent in his company remain to comfort those he |
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left behind; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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A. J. Leger and extend sincere condolences to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Patricia Guidry Leger; to his daughters, |
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Rhonda Crabtree and her husband, Guy, Angie LaBiche and her |
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husband, Dohn, and Jodie Rutledge and her husband, John; to his |
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grandchildren, Kyleigh, Morgan, and Cody Crabtree, Drew LaBiche, |
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and Mason Rutledge; and to his many other relatives and friends; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of |
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A. J. Leger. |