Virginia Carmouche Gayle

Virginia Carmouche Gayle passed away peacefully in Baton Rouge, La. on May 30, 2024, at the age of 100 after living an extraordinary life. It is hard to put into words all that she meant to her family, her friends, her church and her community.

She was born Virginia Lanier Martin on December 8, 1923, in Thibodaux, La. to William Littlejohn Martin and Virginia Locket Lanier and was the eldest of three sisters: Virginia, Ruth Deus (Frank) and Marion Segger [Minnie] (Franz). They grew up during the Great Depression in a home that was a quiet one, conducive to reading and study which they all did. Books and education were very important to all of them.

In her own words, Virginia knew in high school she was “intelligent, bossy, and hard-headed; impatient with slowness and stupidity”. She was always eager to learn and eagerly looked forward to a life of learning and excitement. And what a life she led. Virginia traveled the world many times over and met and entertained many fascinating people throughout her life.

Virginia majored in Philosophy at LSU and attributed it with teaching her how to get the most out of life and be happy. She also had a Master of Arts in government and Juris Doctorate from LSU.

She went to LSU law school at a time when there were very few women attorneys and graduated in 1949. Virginia was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity for over 80 years, initiated in 1941 by the Delta Iota chapter at LSU. She was a charter member of the Lake Charles Alumnae Association of KKG which she served in various capacities, including President.

After graduating from law school, she was approached about going into a law firm partnership with a man she had met but did not know well – Eddie Carmouche from Lake Charles, LA (although she knew him as a big man on campus and had a long-time crush). When she arrived at the office on her first day of work, Eddie had placed a bouquet of roses on her desk, and she always said she fell in love with him at that moment. While they struggled financially with starting a new practice together, they fell madly in love. He was the great love of her life. They went on to marry in 1950 and had forty wonderful years together until his death in 1990.

In 1995, she married Willis Gayle who she had known since marrying Eddie. Willis and Eddie had known each other since elementary school. To give you a sense of who Virginia was, the minister at the end of their marriage ceremony said “Mrs. Gayle, you may kiss the groom”. Virginia and Willis spent the years traveling and entertaining and had a great life together until his death in 2007.

Virginia had numerous hobbies and interests: tending her beautiful rose garden, needlepoint, reading, and traveling. But she had a lifelong passion for duplicate bridge which she learned from her grandmother. She was a Life Master and developed many close friendships through her bridge club.

She also loved anything and everything LSU, especially football and baseball, and was on the Board of the LSU Foundation for many years. She traveled with the LSU Alumni Association to many games especially after Eddie passed away.

As busy as she was, she always found time to give back to the community and tried to live by the Bible verse “to whom much is given, much is required”. She was a member of the Presbyterian church and served in many capacities through the years: as Treasurer, president of Women of the Church, and as an adult Sunday school teacher. She has served as president of the Lake Charles Ballet Society, the Junior League, the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association, the League of Women Voters, on the organizational board of directors for the Lake Charles Symphony for many years (once as president), on the State Advisory Council for Art, Cultural and Historical Preservation, State Board of the Louisiana Council for Music and the Performing Arts, and as president of the Calcasieu Parish Unit of the American Cancer Society. Virginia was also awarded the Chamber of Commerce Civic Service Award in 1984 for her contributions to the community.

Virginia and Eddie had 5 children: William Paul, who died at 6 weeks, Edward, Maura, and Virginia [Vee] (Kirk) and Pierre (Lili) who pre-deceased her in Feb 2003. She also has 5 grandchildren: Matt Mize (Leslie), Meghan Sylvester (Justin) Claire Carmouche, Brandon Derouen (Kim), Gwen Veasey and 9 great grandchildren: Conrad Mize, William Mize, Miriam Derouen, Brock Derouen, Taylor Mery (Trevor), Happy Sylvester, Lily Harper Sylvester, Ruby Sylvester , Charlotte Veasey and one great-great grandson, Ash Mery.

It would be impossible to list all of her many adventures and accomplishments! Everyone who grew up in Lake Charles knew of Virginia Carmouche and they all had a story of how she had made them laugh or how much she had done for them.

Visitation will be on Monday June 17, 2024 at Johnson Funeral Home of Lake Charles from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. A Celebration of her well lived life will begin at 2:00 PM at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Sallier Cemetery in Lake Charles.

Such a unique, polished, accomplished and candid woman, that while she may be physically absent from our lives, she will forever live in our hearts.

Virginia expressed a sincere desire in helping others, and in that spirit, requests that memorials be made in her memory to The Edward M Carmouche Scholarship at McNeese State University, Presbyterian Church at Morganfield, The LSU Foundation or to the Salvation Army.