Stories About Bodie

Boudreaux and Me
By Louis Arbour

Bodie Boudreaux was my good friend for many years, a person to be relied on whenever in need.

Fishing in Lake Palourde

Our favorite fishing hole.  We caught innumerable catfish there, largely along the South shore, in fact we even named some of the trees "large crooked tree", "the leaner", "one tree point"---  Boudreaux and I had many, many, fun filled trips in lake Palourde, and not just because of the fishing, but also for the companionship, ability to laugh at each other, and high regard we felt for each other.  One problem we had was when he ran the trolling motor, he moved too fast ---he was always eager to get to that next cypress tree, but he always kept me with a good place to fish in the back of the boat.

Sometimes when it was cold, (I have gotten very cold natured) I would be all bundled up and Bodie would put his ragged jacket on backwards, and away we would go --- wide open all the way --- no matter if the wind was blowing up some pretty good waves on not.  One time there was a huge raft (about 3 acres) of cormorants and white pelicans floating close together in the middle of lake Palourade and we were headed right at them --- then Bodie looked at me ---and I looked at him --- and he got that grin on his face --- and we ran right though the middle of them.  We knew they would fly, but we didn't know was each of those thousands of birds would each shed about a cup of water on getting up ---- and we ran right under the middle of them, and got soaked to the skin.  We could have just reached and grabbed their legs.  We both felt pure joy at doing this and laughed and joked after that at every time we saw a raft of birds on the lake, but we didn't go through any more.  We fished many other places, but enjoyed Lake Palourde the best.

 Bodie and the rest of us always had great times at the yearly "Brawl".  this was a very rustic 3 day gathering of a group of outdoorsmen held on Bayou Felix.  Lots of jokes, beer, food, and carrying on.  Bodie was always appointed "fish fryer" and I was his assistant,  Bodie would sit on the ice chest and closely monitor the fish in the frying pan getting them done to perfection and my job was to see that there were always freshly corn mealed fish for him as he took the fried ones out of the pan.  I will always treasure this memory as I will treasure all my memories of him. 

Fishing at Leeville

One of our other favorite fishing holes was in the marsh of Leeville.  We would literally fill up ice chest with specs, redfish, drum and white trout --- then have to brave the mosquitoes and gnats while we spent hours filleting fish. Glenda could tee you about these trips --- they were great!!!

Camping

Through the years we traveled all over the United States and Canada with Bodie and Glenda in our camping trailers.  They were good traveling companions.  My trailer had a problem with the wheel bearings burning up on one certain trailer wheel.  Bodie and I (but mostly Bodie) replaced these bearings seven times, usually on the side of the road.  We had so many various problems that it would have soured most people from camping but we relished the problems --- and were always able to fix them or work around them.

When traveling, Bodie and Glenda would lead the way largely because Glenda was the best navigator in our group.  Sometimes we would have a little discussion about routes --- but Bodie didn't care.  He would say, "just tell me where to go".  When driving, Bodie had only one speed and that was the speed that he would drive on the straight away, on the hills, and through the curves --- but he was considerate about not running off and leaving us.

Sometimes we would have fun with other drivers by displaying certain hand gestures between ourselves --- like when Bodie was freaking into line ahead of us (caused quite a scene on one occasion --- the bystanders thought we were about to get out and to to fist city) and were really chagrined when they saw it was all and act.

Kind, compassionate, and helpful.

These works describe Bodie pretty well.  How many of us have called on Bodie for help on something?  Hew was always eager to do a favor for someone in need.  God knows he did a lot for me, from trailer bearings to outboard motor repairs.  RV refrigerator problems to straightening up computer bugs that I had caused.

Bodie was compassionate to the point of even willing to offer and have a need boarder stay in his home rent free.  One time we were entering a McDonalds for breakfast and a homeless guy asked for some assistance outside the door.  Boudreaux told him that he would not give him any money, but would buy him the best breakfast McDonalds had and he die.  the homeless guy really appreciated this act of kindness and so did Bodie's fellow coffee drinkers.

He assisted people in need many, many times.  The many times he took a guy to the VA hospital in New Orleans because the guy couldn't drive down there.  The many times he assisted neighbors with their problems.  Many times he fixed things mechanical, or things electronic, for others and did them well.

Needless to say Bodie will live in my heard and memory.  Every time we fish lake Palourde, or run a boat down Belle River, or Bayou Felix, I'll have good memories of Bodie Boudreaux........

Bodie Boudreaux was my best friend.....

A Testemonial
By Mike Dickerson

To all of Adams friends and relatives,

I’m so sorry that Judy and I couldn’t be there to celebrate Adams life. I know that Adam would not want us to miss this trip that we already paid for.

We first met Adam when we bought our home on Ridgely St. in 1977. Our house was next door to Adam’s Dad, Mr. Walter, and Step-Mom, Judy.  Mr. Walter and I became good friends; He made coffee that you could stand a spoon up in your cup.

Adam and I became good friends too, and I can’t really put in words what he meant to me personally, but I’ll try. You see I lost my Dad when I was ten years old on Christmas Eve, 1958. I tell you this because when a boy loses his Dad at such a young age, you lose something that can never be replaced, but you go through life trying to find that “special someone” that you can lean on a little, especially when things aren’t going so well. Adam, more that anyone I’ve ever met in my life, had filled that void. He has been my friend, my mentor, and of course my mechanic. He could fix anything! Don’t try to pay him though. He told me once that, “you don’t charge a friend in need for helping him out.” He’d actually get pissed when you offered. He told me that I was trying to blackmail him.

Most of you know that Adam liked to play Devil’s advocate on a number of issues. Such topics as race, Democrat vs. Republican, private employment vs. public employment were often discussed. Some of which became vary heated. I was the staunch Republican and Adam played the liberal Democrat, which I didn’t believe for a second he was. After many discussions of who was right or wrong, Adam would tell me that I was too close to the problem, and I’d tell him that he was just like the rest of them liberal Demo’s: close your eyes to what the real problem was. He’d just laugh at me. When ever I showed up at his house, the first question out of his mouth was whether or not I was on duty. If I said that I was working, he’d tell me all about his taxes going to waste.

Adam and I made many fishing trips to some Ponds that I had access to. Most of the time, I caught more than he did. I’d tell him he wasn’t holding his mouth right, but one time he caught me putting my secret weapon-bait spray on my bait, and he told me I was holding out on him. Sometimes, not often though, Adam did catch more than me, but even then he’d say that I caught all the fish. Adam didn’t like to take credit for anything.

I stopped by to see Adam a couple of weeks before he passed away and he told me then that he didn’t think that he had much longer to be here. I sucked it up for a minute, and then I simply said, “Well Adam, we had many a good time together.” To which he replied, “Yes, we did.” He knew he didn’t have to say nor would he have said, “And don’t you forget it,” because he knew that I never will.

We are so sorry that we could not be there to celebrate with you guys today, but please raise your glasses one time in Judy and my stead, for Adam, “Bodie” Boudreaux, “A friend one could always count on, no matter what the problem was.” Cheers!

Adam Fixing the Problem
By Walter Boudreaux Jr.

One of the mainframe customers in Baton Rouge had an IBM computer, but they chose to get a maintenance contract with one of our competitors. The computer went down and they called for service. Our competitors worked on the system for three days and nights and could not fix the problem. When mainframes are down, it means the customer is losing big bucks every minute it is down. Our competitor flew an engineer in to work on the problem. After 2 or 3 more days down, the customer decided to call IBM Service. Adam was dispatched on the call and when he arrived, they explained the problem and started to follow him while he went to work on the problem. Adam told them they could not watch him, because that would be training and he was not obligated to train. They said they were going to lunch and left. Adam fixed the problem in less the 5 minutes and had the customer boot up the system. By the time they returned from lunch the system was up and running and Adam had departed. They got a hold of him on the phone and asked what fixed the problem. He replied, he could not say because that would be training and they were not paying for training.

We Go Back to 1966
by Carl Spillman

Bodie Boudreaux was a friend...a truly good friend....We go back to 1966 
when i transferred from New Orleans to Baton Rouge...He at that time was 
a Resident C.E. in McComb MS...He had a reputation of never needing
assistance from Baton Rouge and that proved to be the case...Then one
morning i was in the shop at IBM with a few guys and i felt someone
staring at me....i looked around and there was this stranger just
looking me over...we locked eyes and we met...Bodie and i were friends
from that day...he asked me if i had a fenced back yard and wanted a dog
and we accepted a barely grown German Sheppard named King...Best dog we
ever had, but he got stolen along with a bunch of sheppards and i am
pretty sure he ended up in Vietnam...During the 1970s we both had
camp boats on Bayou Felix and our families got to know each other...A good
example of Bodies personality and the love and respect he generated is
the way my kids until the day he died would ask about him whenever the
bayous were mentioned...Bodie had an interest and curiosity about people
of all ages and would spend time with a child that most people would
not..As my kids grew up he kept up with their progress and sometimes
their lack thereof and was a source of advice for me on many
occasions....He didn't get into a persons business but if i asked he
would tell me what he thought...That's the way Bodie operated...That was
Bodie...He didn't try to overpower anyone with advice in his personal
life or at work but he knew a hell of a lot and was there if you needed
him.

Many pleasant memories are shared by a lot of people that were involved
in the fishing and camping on Bayou Felix, the marshes and the camps at
Stephenville...My actual fishing in the same boat with Bodie was very
limited...The 2nd time i fished with him for bass we fished all day for
one bass...The paddle was frozen to the bottom of the boat....I decided
that day that he was a more dedicated guy to fishing than me...We fished
a few times together after that but 2 boats was the general rule...Denny
Shawn was Bodies fishing partner for years but Denny could sleep
anywhere...It was quite common to run into these two somewhere deep in
the swamp and Denny would be asleep in the bottom of a 15 foot
bateau....These two were two opposites and cut each other with words all
day but were the best of friends...One 35 degree day Paul Burnett and i
went to bayou Felix and ran a trotline...There was Bodie and
Denny...Bodie in his famous navy pea coat....They had 3 days fishing in
that weather and not a kept bass...they had caught a boatload though... It
seems that Bodie had caught the first bass and it was a real nice one
but Denny had insisted that Bodie throw it back as it was too small to
keep...They had been doing that for 3 days.

Bodie was and is a legend in this town for his ability to fix and maintain the
largest computers made by IBM.  He not only knew the mainframes well but
could fix on the system level...He understood the complete system
contained in a complex plus he was a teleprocessing expert...To fully
appreciate his talents we have to remember that early in computer days
the troubleshooting went down to the transistor and bit level...In this
as in everything else Bodie did he was basically Mr. Quiet...He did his
thing and went on his way...I say basically Mr Quiet...He had a temper but
not many ever saw it.

May God take care of him.