William "Bill" R. Horaist Jr.'s Obituary
William "Bill" R. Horaist, Jr. of Hammond, LA passed away on Wednesday, September 25, 2019. He was born on November 18, 1932 in New Orleans, LA to William, Sr. and Henrietta (Cooke) Horaist.
William is survived by his beloved wife Elaine (Duren) Horaist; his children William Horaist, III, Denise Horaist, Cathy Siren, Michael Gilpin, and Ramsey Sheppard; 15 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
William is preceded in death by his son David Sheppard, his brother Donald, his sisters Catherine Sullivan and Barbara Burns, and his parents.
A man of many talents, Bill was a devoted husband, father, war veteran, musician, animal lover and avid sports fan. During the Korean Conflict, Bill honorably served his country, along with some of the most well know musicians New Orleans had to offer, in the Louisiana National Guard 39th Infantry Band. A superb tenor saxophonist, during the 1970’s Bill was the leader of the Bill Horaist, Jr. Orchestra, where he met and fell in love, and married his lovely wife, of 45 1/2 years; Elaine. They raised their six children, along with a multitude of rescue dogs, and enjoyed watching the Saints and LSU games, His sunny disposition; even temperament and loving counsel will be missed by anyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the memorial services at E.J. Fielding Funeral Home, 2260 W 21st Ave, Covington, LA 70433 on Monday, September 30, 2019. Services and Visitation will be between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in memory of Mr. Horaist may be made to The Tangipahoa Humane Society. Donations may be made at: https://www.tangihumanesociety.org.
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