Henry "Deece" O. Lestage, III's Obituary
H.O. “Deece” Lestage, III died on Monday, November 2, 2020, in DeRidder, Louisiana. He was 84. Deece was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but spent most of his early years in Jennings and graduated Jennings High School in 1954. He attended LSU for two years during which he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He was admitted to LSU Law School where he was selected to be a member of the Law Review and graduated and was admitted to practice in Louisiana in January 1959. He joined the U.S. Navy and was commissioned as an Ensign upon graduation from Officer Candidate School, whereupon he was admitted to, and graduated, Judge Advocate General School with the rank of Lieutenant J.G. Subsequently, Deece was assigned to the staff of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (Pentagon) as Head Tort Section, during which time he met and married the love of his life, Anne Wharton. Deece left a promising Naval career having achieved the rank of Lieutenant upon his honorable discharge in September 1962 to pursue private practice in DeRidder with W.E. Hall, Jr. and L.H. Coltharp, Jr. In his more than fifty years of private practice, which included membership in the firms of Hall, Coltharp & Lestage, Hall, Lestage & Lestage, and Hall, Lestage & Landreneau, Deece’s active general civil practice had an emphasis on trials. He represented not only his fellow citizens but also many corporations, small and large, local, and national. He was noted in the fields of insurance and workers’ compensation and achieved the highest rating for attorneys with Martindale-Hubbell.
Deece was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church where he taught religious education to the youth and served as coordinator for the R.C.I.A. program. He was also an active member of many civic organizations, including DeRidder Rotary Club, serving as President in 1968, and of athletic and band booster clubs at DeRidder High School. He coached little league baseball and was a founding member and past President of the Beauregard Country Club.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Anne Wharton Lestage; three sons Henry Oscar “Chris” Lestage IV of DeRidder, Brian Steele Lestage and his wife Suzanne of DeRidder and David Wharton Lestage and his wife Cindy of Houston Texas; 11 grandchildren Brandon Grant Lestage and his wife Caryn, Garrett Franklin Lestage, Kristin Adele Lestage, Griffon Steele Lestage, Aimee Elizabeth Lestage, Matthew Deece Lestage, Juliet Victoria Lestage Conger and her husband Chase, Katherine Shelby Lestage, Lauren Olivia Lestage, Christopher David Lestage, and Benjamin Joseph Lestage; one great-grandchild Robert Charles Conger; three brothers RADM Daniel Barfield Lestage (MD), U.S. Navy (RET) and his wife Helen of Fairhope, Alabama, David Ramsey Lestage and his wife Rosemary of DeRidder and Dr. Richard “Dick” Butler Lestage and his wife Rhonda of Asheville, North Carolina.
He was preceded in death by his parents Judge H.O. “Oscar” Lestage, Jr. and Juliet Barfield Lestage.
The family thanks Dr. Chris Granger and the management and staff of Westwood Nursing Home for their loving care of Deece.
A Rosary will be held on November 7, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. with the Funeral Service following at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1125 Blankenship Drive, DeRidder, Louisiana, 70634, with Father Jude Brunnert, M. S. and Father Wayne LeBleu officiating. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery, 707 Bilbo Street, DeRidder, Louisiana, 70634, under the direction of Labby Memorial Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Joseph Catholic Church or a charity of one’s choice.
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