More detail on this person: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joseph L. Hotard, III A resident of Prairieville, he was born July 3, 1924, and quietly passed on to heaven at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday, March 11, 2009. His family was at his side. He was known in the Baton Rouge community, where he had lived since 1991, simply as Poppy. Buddy, as he was called by his family and friends in the military, was born in Garyville and attended elementary school until 1934. His family moved to Jennings, where he attended elementary and high school and lived until he was drafted to serve in World War II in 1943. He was one of the first people selected to the newly formed U.S. Army Air Forces. His military career was exceptional. He was selected to serve as a drill instructor and eventually promoted to sergeant, earning his wings as a B-24 nose gunner in the spring 1945. It was during this time period that he was first introduced to food service when he volunteered for KP duty. His World War II tour was spent primarily in India in the areas of Karachi, Pakistan, and Rupsi Airfield at the foothills of Burma and Panagarh. He returned to Jennings in September 1945. In 1947, he enrolled at Southwestern Louisiana Institute, Lafayette. It was there where he met New Orleans native Betty Poursine and they married in June 1948. Joe was named group executive officer of the Air ROTC for the 1950-1951 school year when he graduated with a bachelor's degree in animal husbandry. In 1953, he served during the Korean War on Johnston Island in the northern Pacific Ocean. His other tours of duty during the 1950s were at Patrick Air Force Base in Coco Beach, Fla., Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina and Chicago. From 1962-1969, he served at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., as officer in charge of the cadet dining hall. His promotions went from captain to lieutenant colonel. During the Vietnam War in 1969, he was stationed at Na Trang and Tan Son Nhut Air bases. Upon his return in 1970, the family moved to San Antonio, where he was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas until he retired from the Air Force in 1974. Soon after he met up with Gen. Robert F. McDermott with whom he had served at the academy. Joe Hotard, as he was called during this time period, was hired to set up the food services operations at the new USAA building on Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio. He later assumed responsibility for employee services, which included, employee activities, physical fitness, and the library as well as the four cafeterias in the home office. He retired as an executive director from USAA in 1988. After the passing of his wife, Betty, in 1989, he moved to a farm in Prairieville to live with his daughter, Beth, and her family in 1991. During this time his grandkids dubbed him Poppy and the name stuck. Many children from the Baton Rouge community, especially the kindergartenerspre- schoolers at St Thomas More School were especially fond of Poppy because he opened his farm to them and their parents each spring to learn about kinds of farm animals and their newborn young. This annual event was featured in The Advocate on Sunday, April 7, 1996. Poppy was preceded in death by his wife of 40 years, Mary Elizabeth Poursine; parents, Marie Ernestine Muntz and Joseph Leonce Jr.; and four sisters, Dorothy Devall, Noely Buller, Leona Foley and Mildred Hotard. Survived by his brother, Dale Hotard and his wife, Sandra, of Jennings; daughter, Mary Beth Manning and her husband, Daryl; and three sons, James Richard and his wife, Nita, Michael Charles, and Robert Joseph and his wife, Cheryl. Papa Buddy had 11 grandchildren who adored him: Bryn, Jeff and Alex Manning, Ann Marie Weldon and her husband, Lee, and Richard, Christine, Katie, Theresa, Cessly, Linden and Graham Hotard; and great-grandchild, Cameron Weldon. The family would like to express their thanks to Leo P. Blaze III, M.D.; N. Joseph Deumite, M.D., F.A.C.C. and Georgia A. Reine, M.D., for their care and concern over the past several years. Also the family expresses their gratitude for the wonderful care and support of Comfort Keepers, Amedisys Home Health Services and Hospice Nurse Neely during Poppy's final days. If you prefer to make a donation in lieu of flowers, please contribute to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Dad loved plants and flowers, however, so they will be happily accepted. A wakerosary will be held at Resthaven Gardens of Memory Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Highway, on Thursday, March 12, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Burial information: Port Hudson National Cemetery, Zachary, LA
This information was last updated 01/09/2018
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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