Dr. Jesse John Feist

It is with a truly saddened and heavy heart that we report the death of Jesse John Feist at approximately 2:45am Wednesday February 4, 2015 at the Guardian House in Lake Charles, LA from complications of Alzheimer's disease. Jesse was 79 years old. Jesse was born August 30, 1935 in Spearville, Kansas to John and Ivra Dryer Feist during the height of both the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. As the 6th of 8 children growing up on a farm in Western Kansas, Jess developed interests and talents not uncommon to that time and place: baseball, basketball, track, and doing well in schoolinterests he continued to have throughout his adult life. When he was 12-years old, however, we almost lost Jess when the pickup truck his 14 year-old brother was driving turned over on a country road, pinning Jess' leg. As a result of this accident, he came so close to passing away that last-rights were administered by a priest and he missed months of 7th grade. Not only did he fully recover, but he went on to letter in basketball, baseball, and track both in high school (Spearville High) and in college (St. Mary of the Plains in nearby Dodge City). Jess and his older brother Tom excelled in track and baseball. At St Mary of the Plains Jess once took first place with a 2:12.35 half mile (880), while Tom set a Mid-Kansas Collegiate record in the 440 with a time of 53.1 seconds. In addition to receiving a B.A. in Social Science, Jess was editor of the College Newspaper (Carillon) and lettered in baseball, basketball (served as Team Captain his Senior year), and track all four years. It was at St Mary of the Plains that Jess also met and fell in love with his future wife, Mary Jo McComb (married for 51 years until her death in 2009). After graduating, he and Mary Jo moved to Wichita, KS where Jess earned a Masters Degree at Wichita State University. Jess and Mary Jo's first child, Rebecca, was born during this time. After completing his MA degree Jess enrolled at the University of Kansas (Lawrence) where he earned a Doctorate of Education (EdD) in 1964. Their two oldest sons, Gregory and David, were born during this time. Receiving two job offers, one in Minnesota and one in Lake Charles, Louisiana (McNeese State University), Jess and Mary Jo chose the latter for its more temperate climate. While at McNeese, the last two of five children were born, Timothy and Laura. Jess moved up the academic ranks and achieved the rank of Full Professor of Psychology and chaired the Department of Psychology for 17 years. During his tenure, he was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Professor Award from McNeese State University. In 1985, his first textbook, Theories of Personality, was published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. His son Greg not only was a student in Jess' Theory of Personality Seminar in the early 1980s, but also went on to co-author the textbook beginning with its 4th edition. The book (co-authored with Tomi-Ann Roberts) is currently in its 8th edition and published by McGraw-Hill. In addition, Jess and his colleague from McNeese, Linda Brannon published Health Psychology, now also in its 8th edition with Wadsworth Publishing (and co-authored with John Updegraff). In 2006, Jess retired from teaching and was awarded Professor Emeritus status in 2007, an honor he held until his death. Jess loved baseball in particular and starting with the Stan Musial era of the 1940s became a life-long fan of the St. Louis Cardinals--a love he passed on to his two eldest sons Greg and David. A weekly and avid golfer, Jess carted a 8-9 handicap and had the distinction of completing an 18 hole course in under an hour (jogging) while carrying only one iron and putter. His goal was to break 100 and he shot under 90. He continued to regularly play basketball and jog 3-4 miles each day until his late 60s and early 70s. Stemming from perhaps his early childhood on a farm, Jess became a devoted gardener, growing wonderful annual crops of tomatoes, corn, potatoes, beans, lettuce, broccoli, and bell-peppers for decades in his own back yard. He also was one of Lake Charles' first home composters. Jess is survived by his brother Jim (Dodge City, KS), sisters Jane (Bethesda, MD), Betty (Wichita, KS), Marion (San Diego, CA), and Dianne (Denver, CO), as well as his five children Rebecca Rose Jacobsen and husband Michael (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA), Gregory John Feist and wife Erika Rosenberg (Oakland, CA), David Ernest Feist (Oakland, CA), Timothy Joseph Feist and wife Tia Seeley (Lake Charles, LA), and Laura Marie Myers and husband Brian (Ft. Worth, TX). He is also survived by his five wonderful grandchildren Jess is preceded in death by his father John Anton Feist, his mother Ivra Dryer, brother Thomas Joseph, and sister Carole Marie Feist-Wood. Jess was a most wonderful father, husband, professor, athlete, and great all-around person and he will be profoundly missed by his family and friends. Jess' family would also like to thank his long term in-home care team of Bonnie Simmons, Lisa Ceasar and Ken Simmons. Without their 24-7 care and friendship over the last few years, Jess' life would have not been the comfortable and peaceful existence that it was. Visitation will be held Friday February 6th from 3-8pm, with a Rosary at 6pm, and Saturday February 7th from 10-11:45am at Johnson's Funeral Home on Lake Street in Lake Charles. A funeral Mass will take place at noon Saturday February 7th at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church in Lake Charles, followed by a burial at Consolata Cemetery. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The McNeese Foundation in the name of Jess Feist.