Cleve Stephen Banquer passed away peacefully at his home in Baton Rouge, LA, with his beloved wife and children by his side.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, May 31, 2024, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church,12424 Brogdon Ln, Baton Rouge, LA 70816.
A visitation with a Rosary led by Clifford Hebert will take place at the church Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
Father Michael Miceli will officiate the funeral mass. Readers will be Lucas Banquer and Chuck Kaiser. Gift bearers will be Shannon Horton, Garrett Banquer, and Tabor Banquer. Danielle Laird will serve as cantor. Honorary pallbearers will be Karl Banquer, Mark Banquer, Brett Banquer, Ann Lagneaux, Lucas Banquer, Adam Lagneaux, and Jerry Perrin.
Immediately following the funeral mass, a reception will be held from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Family Center.
Immediately following the reception, Deacon Alec Campbell will lead an interment ceremony from 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM at Our Lady of Mercy Garden of Peace, 445 Marquette Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70806.
Cleve was part of a large and loving extended family. He is survived by his wife of nearly 54 years, Yvonne, and their children Shannon (Chris) Horton of Opelousas, Garrett Banquer of Pontchatoula, and Tabor Banquer of Brooklyn, NY.; grandchildren Ada and Carlie Horton and Caris Banquer; siblings Karl (Pauline) Banquer of Baton Rouge; Mark (Libby) Banquer of Breaux Bridge; Brett (Bette) Banquer of Cankton; and Ann (Leon) Lagneaux of DeRidder; in-laws Becky (Clifford) Hebert of Breaux Bridge and Lennet (Martha) Tauzin of Mansfield, TX; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents Cleveland S. and Audrey Hunter Banquer and father- and mother-in-law Oleste and May Broussard Tauzin.
Cleve was born in Marrero, LA, and attended elementary, middle, and junior high school in the West Bank of New Orleans. Because his father’s work took the family overseas, Cleve’s high school years were spent in the Republic of Malta, where he graduated from De La Salle College in 1965. He returned to the United States to attend Tulane University, but soon moved to Lafayette where he completed a course of study at Spencer Business College before matriculating at what was then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He had a marvelous time at USL, enthusiastically putting both his fun-loving nature and his leadership skills to good use as president of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. He graduated in 1971 with a degree in business administration. After a brief stint at LSU Law School, Cleve began working at Acme Refrigeration in 1972 and went on to become a CPA. Cleve truly loved his career at Acme, cherished his colleagues, and was proud to play a part in helping the company grow and thrive. After 42 years at Acme, he retired as Chief Financial Officer in 2014. For many years, Cleve volunteered with Sertoma International, Knights of Columbus, and St. Patrick’s Catholic Church; after retirement, he enjoyed visiting family and spending time with friends; he could often be found catching up with pals at George’s Restaurant and Jones Creek Café. He was also a committed LSU Tigers football fan.
On August 15, 1970, Cleve married Yvonne Tauzin Banquer, his devoted wife and rock for more than five decades. The following year, they moved to Baton Rouge where they made their home and raised their family, welcoming their children into the world in 1974, 1976, and 1983. Cleve was enormously proud of his family and delighted in seeing his children and grandchildren grow up. The most important thing throughout his life was spending time with his immediate and extended family, with many joyful memories made in Lafayette, Breaux Bridge, Cankton, DeRidder, the West Bank of New Orleans, and Gulf Shores, AL.
Over the last fifteen years, Cleve survived prostate, lung, and vocal cord cancers. In the face of his diagnoses and treatments, he maintained an unfailingly cheerful perspective and was resolved to continue living life on his terms and always with his signature sense of humor. Cleve was loved and admired by many, and his family is grateful that in his final days he was able to enjoy visits from many beloved family members and friends. They are also grateful to the medical and care teams—particularly the Pinnacle Hospice team and his private home care team—who made it possible for Cleve to remain at home during his final illness and who provided skilled care and compassionate support to him and his family. Special thanks also to Clint and Myra Young.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Cleve’s memory to any of the following organizations:American Cancer Society,St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, orSt. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
Church Funeral Services & Crematory,www.ChurchFuneralServices.com, (225) 644-9683, are in charge of arrangements.
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