Today's Featured Biography

 
Ronald Judice

    I am Ronald (Ronnie) Judice, born October 8, 1940, to Agnes Fournier and Albert Judice. I was first married to Hilda McCullough (a Mount Carmel grad) in 1960. Hilda and I had 8 children, 6 boys, then, 2 girls. In order, they are Ronnie, Jr., Rex, Ross, Roch, Remi, Ryan, Renee, and Robin. They have blessed me with 28 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. After an extended bout with cancer, Hilda died in 1998. I later married my present wife, Yvette Bonin Hargett. Yvette (LHS Class of 1960) had been married to Daniel Hargett (LHS Class of 1959) for over 38 years as well when Daniel died of a heart condition. Although we knew each other from before, Yvette and I “re-met” at a mini-class reunion of sorts organized by classmate, Toni Thibodeaux Wiley. At that function, Yvette and I were the only two in the room at Don’s Hut who were unattached so-to-speak. We started talking and have been talking ever since.

    That was the nutshell. For a little more detail, continue.

    After high school graduation, I attended LSU on football scholarship. It was Fall 1958, the year of the “first” National Championship for LSU. Although in those days, freshman did not get to play varsity ball, it was a fun time living in Broussard Hall and just being there with Billy Cannon and the rest of the team, absorbing the excitement. All of us found out very quickly that with a football scholarship, you were just “working your way through college” as with any other job. In 1959, the entire 1958 freshman team “Red-shirted”, including the likes of Roy “Moonie” Winston, the great Minnesota linebacker, Fred Miller, Earl Gros and others destined for the pros.

In 1960, Hilda and I were married and started our family. I could not support us on the small laundry check I received from football, so I visited with Coach Dietzel and tendered my resignation. This was followed by my employment with the Louisiana Department of Revenue auditing tax returns and going to school at the same time. In 1961 I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Business and Public Administration. I then entered Law School at LSU and secured my Juris Doctorate in 1964. This was followed by my passing the Bar exam and swearing in at the Louisiana Supreme Court on August 26, 1964, two days after third son Ross was born.

I first practiced law with Joseph Koury who was Annie Catherine Jouban’s brother-in-law (married to Marie). After a few years, I joined in partnership with attorney F. Fred Mouton where I gained a great deal of experience in real estate and succession law. At the same time, during Kenny Bowen’s first administration, I handled most of the day-to-day legal work of the City of Lafayette. That provided me broad experience in municipal law, civil service, utilities, corporate, and other areas that would serve me well in the remainder of my practice. In 1979, I became associated with Harmon Roy and his law firm, leading to my continued practice for many years until retirement as partner/director with the firm of Roy, Bivins, Judice, Roberts & Wartelle, PLC. Toward the end of my practice, which ended with my “semi-retirement” in January of 2004 after 40 years, my practice consisted of serving as general counsel to Louisiana Energy and Power Authority, representation of the developers of the Acadiana Mall and a large estate practice. I still maintain my license and my limited practice is under the name – “Law Office of Ronald J. Judice, L.C.”

In the meantime, through all these years, family-wise, Hilda and I were doing all parenting things, raising little ones, doing PTA, little league baseball, then Junior High followed by High School stuff. Having eight children, we ran through the cycles a number of times. Despite my love of the outdoors, hunting and fishing, etc., there just was not a whole lot of time for that sort of thing. The children made us very proud, and continue to do so. Ronnie Jr. is in non-destructive testing. Rex keeps Halliburton’s computers in the Lafayette area up and running. Ross, a medical doctor, was the Medical Director of Acadian Ambulance Service until his retirement in 2010. Now, he and his wife are full time motor home travelers. Roch is in sales with Harris/Caprock Communication working primarily in the oil industry communications field. Remi is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) working with a local pain management group. Ryan is a graduate of USL and the Citadel, and is now a marketing specialist with a local drug rehab center. Renee is a Registered Nurse employed by a local outpatient surgery facility. Daughter Robin is a full time mother, wife, homemaker and tri-athlete recently moved back to Lafayette from Round Rock, TX.

Today, Yvette and I are enjoying ourselves and what spare time we have in “retirement” is spent still worrying about kids and grandkids, and still ‘trying to do’ for everybody. I guess you never quit doing that. We especially love to cook, as is evident by my girth. We also like reading, traveling, watching movies, long and short road trips, and sometimes, riding our bicycles. We both know from personal experience that life is short and that you have to live in the moment. So, that is what we do.

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