Before meals with his family, Terry Authement would say grace.
“Good food, good meat, let’s eat,” said Authement’s son-in-law, John Joyce. “And bless the cooks. He always had to bless the cooks. It’s something that’s always stuck with me.”
It was part of the personable charm that made Authement special to so many in his life. Those many have been mourning his loss since he passed away on Oct. 13 at the age of 73. Authement battled cancer for almost two years – doctors told him upon his diagnosis he had between six and 20 months to live. He proved to be a fighter.
The Boutte native and U.S. Navy veteran built a lasting legacy in St. Charles Parish, where he served as a Councilman and Councilman At-Large over 12 years. In 2015, he ran for Parish President.
Joyce, husband to Authement’s daughter Ashley, was 16 when he first met Authement.
“He was a man of integrity,” Joyce said. “When he was on the council – you know, sometimes that changes people, but he never changed. He always did what was right, even if it wasn’t popular. Sometimes, that made him enemies, but he did what he believed in. He was always that same person, he showed integrity. Always admired that about him.”
Joyce said Authement was a very kind-hearted man, but also a man with backbone.
“I never saw him get over excited or mad at someone to raise his voice,” said Joyce, who worked alongside Authement at Monsanto for a time. “He was good with confrontation … I always told him, I could never do what you do, because I’m very emotional, and that was the total opposite of him.”
Holly Fonseca, St. Charles Parish Councilwoman At-Large, first worked with Authement on the parish council when she was grants officer.
Following the election of V.J. St. Pierre as parish president, the parish council was comprised of almost all newcomers, with the exception of Authement.
“Terry had been a councilman before and came back to be elected as Councilman At-Large, and he was the only one that really had experience,” said Fonseca. “And he was very kind, professional and level-headed. He was always willing to listen and help me in any way that he could.”
Fonseca said he was a man who truly loved his community.
“He really cared about the people in this parish, and that showed in his dedication as a councilman. He made time for everything – the meetings, the extra things you go to, ribbon cuttings … he was an all-around good person who really loved his family and really loved the parish,” Fonseca said.
Authement was married to the late Josie Authement for 50 years. The two had a daughter, Ashley, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He worked at Monsanto for 33 years before retiring. He represented District 4 as councilman from 1996 to 2004, then ran for and was elected as Councilman At-Large in 2007.
A true Boutte native, Authement was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing.
And more than anything, he loved his family.
“He went to every ball game, went to every event. We saw him every day,” said Joyce. “All of the family events, barbeques, crawfish boils – it’s what he was about, making memories, his family and grandkids, great-grandkids. His whole life revolved around his family.”
Joyce said that at Authement’s camp in Toledo Bend, Authement would keep a log book journaling the family experiences on trips.
“It was about memories – somebody killing a deer or catching a big fish,” Joyce said. “I started reading all through it … he put a lot of his heart and feelings into that book, just how important his family was.”
Whenever he’d see them, he always had a special message for his grandchildren.
“He would say, ‘Did I tell you something today?’ And they would say, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Well, did I tell you I love you?’ And he did that each time he saw one of the grandkids. And they would respond back, ‘I love you too, Paw Paw.’”
He was inseparable from those grandchildren.
“We lived right next door. When they saw his boat, they’d hop in it,” Joyce said. “And he wouldn’t leave without them, he’d take them out fishing. He loved it. Their grandpa spent a lot of time with his grandkids. He was involved in their life, so much. There was no photo we ever took he wasn’t there.”
