Edward L. Deas, born February 1, 1938 in Purvis, Mississippi to Nader and Julia Holcomb Deas, died Sunday, May 3, at his residence in Hammond. He graduated high school at 16 and William Carey College at 19 years of age, received his Masters Degree from Mississippi Southern and 30 hours from SLU. He was a basketball coach in Mississippi and Washington Parish School system. He was principal of Pine High School for 20 years. He was president of the Washington Parish Retired Teachers Association for the past three years. A member of the Louisiana Reading Council and past member of the Louisiana Association of School Executives, Louisiana Association of Principals and Phi Delta Kappar. He was active for years in local, parish and state politics.
He wanted to be remembered as “a man who hated no one and who always tried to help anyone in need.”
He is survived by his wife, Mary Kenney Deas; five children from his first marriage to Jean Anderson Deas, Donna Thomas, Janet Thomas, Jody Deas all of Pine, Mike Deas of Walker and Julie Leyrer of Madisonville; two stepchildren, Steven Links of Walker and Mary Beth Crouette of Ponchatoula; two brothers, William “Bill” Deas of Tupelo, Miss. and Robert O. Deas of Denver, Colo.; 11 grandchildren, two great grandchildren and five step grandchildren.
Visitation was held from 6 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday and will continue after 9 a.m. today, at First Baptist Church in Franklinton. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. at the church with Rev. Harold Gaddy and Rev. Donal Chance officiating. Interment will follow in the Rose Memorial Cemetery in Hammond.
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