A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 15, 2015, at Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Franklin, Louisiana, for Mary Katherine Oakley delaHoussaye, 78, who died on Saturday, April 11, 2015, at her home in Franklin. Rev. Lloyd Benoit, pastor of Church of the Assumption will officiate and Rev. Oneil Landry and Rev. Ruben Primor will be the co-celebrants, along with Deacon Brent Bourgeios. The family is requesting visiting hours at Ibert's Mortuary from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14th, with a rosary to be prayed at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will resume at Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Wednesday April 15th, at 9:00 a.m. until just prior to the funeral Mass. Interment will be in the Franklin Cemetery. "Mary Kay" was born May 29, 1936, in New Orleans, La., to Dr. John F. Oakley, Jr. and Mary Katherine Downs Oakley and was the granddaughter of Lawrence A. Downs and Ida Mae Mulligan Downs of Chicago, Ill., and Dr. John F. Oakley, Sr. and Lula Kelton Oakley of Rogers, Arkansas. She attended school in New Orleans at Metairie Park Country Day and was graduated from Fairfax Hall in Waynesboro, Virginia. She attended Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans where she was affiliated with Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority. On December 21, 1957, she married her college sweetheart, Edward Anthony delaHoussaye, III and they made their home in Franklin, Louisiana, where she has resided for the last 57 years. She is survived by their five daughters, Mary Downs "Dee" delaHoussaye of Lafayette, Jeanne delaHoussaye Sulzbach and her husband Mark of Houston, Texas, Heloise delaHoussaye LeBlanc and her husband Matthew of Franklin, Lisette delaHoussaye Rivette and her husband Dennis of Franklin, and Adrienne Claire delaHoussaye of Lafayette; four grandsons, Edward A. LeBlanc of Portland, Or., Blake S. Foster and his wife Babette of Youngsville, LA. Cody G. Foster and his wife Jerica of Youngsville, LA., and Christopher S. Sulzbach of Houston, TX. She is also survived by four great-grandchildren, Landon Foster, Luke Foster, and twins Fiona Foster and Elise Foster, her sister Elizabeth "Betty" Oakley Weddington, brother-in-law Richard C. Davis and sister-in-law, Heloise delaHoussaye Miars, along with numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Judge Edward A. delaHoussaye, III, by her parents, her father and mother-in-law, Edward A. delaHoussaye, Jr. and Heloise Fay delaHoussaye, her sisters, Jane Downs Oakley and Ellen Oakley Davis, and brother-in- law Ralph Weddington. Mary Kay was a truly beautiful person, inside and out, and had an abundance of all the qualities that truly matter in this life. She was the epitome of a lady, with a fun-loving spirit and a zeal for life. She was a woman of incredible strength, a devoted friend and neighbor. She lived for her family, dedicating her life to the love and care of her husband, children and grandchildren. Her great-grandchildren brought her great joy in her last years. She was a creative artist, a talented cook and loved needlework of all kinds. She had a life-long love of books and was a devoted patroness of the St. Mary Parish Library. Mary Kay was a convert to the Roman Catholic Church and had a passionate love of Christ. She was a daily communicant, a lay Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion and had a hospital and home-bound ministry for many years. Mary Kay had many adoptive elderly "grandparents" through the years for whom she nurtured during their last years of life. She was a founding member of the Franklin Alcoholics Anonymous Program and sponsored many recovering teens and adults. Pallbearers will be her grandsons Edward LeBlanc, Blake Foster, Cody Foster, Christopher Sulzbach, and nephews Peter Dolan and John Davis. The delaHoussaye family would like to acknowledge and thank her "angels", Renee Freeman, Ginger Jones, Josie Boatman, Sophia Willis and Ydell Washington for their loving care and devotion over the last several years, and especially acknowledge Dr. Steven McPherson and his Staff, Amanda Brewer, RN and Ginger Guidry of Journey Hospice for their exceptional and compassionate care of our Mother. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Association, online at http://www.alz.org/louisiana/in_my_community_donate.asp, by mail, 3445 N. Causeway, Suite 902, Metairie, LA 70002, or by phone, 1-800-272-3900, or to the St. Mary Parish Library System, 206 Iberia St., Franklin, LA 70538, (337) 828-5364, or to Journey Hospice of Houma, 598 Corporate Drive, Houma, LA 70360, www.journeyhospice.com, (985) 223-1865. Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert's Mortuary of Franklin.

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Published in The Acadiana Advocate from Apr. 12 to Apr. 14, 2015.