Louis Le Guyader

CLICK HERE TO VIEW HIS VIDEO TRIBUTE
Louis "Pépé" Le Guyader, 89, of Eddy St., Fall River, husband of Marie (Beric) Le Guyader, died Saturday, April 26, 2008.
Born in LeSaint, Brittany, France, the son of the late Louis and Marie (Le Cren) Le Guyader and the father of the late Eliane Tadier, he lived in New York City for many years and in Fall River for the past 14 years.
A French Army veteran of WW II, he was a Prisoner of War and Croix de Guerre recipient. He was a chef at the Brittany Du Soir, La Caravelle and other famous New York restaurants.
Besides his wife of 64 years, he leaves a daughter, Ginette Vrod and her husband Bernard of Queens, NY; a son, Désiré Le Guyader and his wife Marianne Nasser of Fall River; 6 grandchildren, Florence Mousserion, Yannick and Sebastien Vrod and Sabine, Nicolas and Alexa Le Guyader and great-grandchildren, Nad&egravege and Kevin Mousserion and 5 siblings in the United States and France.
His funeral was held Tuesday, April 29th at 9:00 AM from the AUCLAIR FUNERAL HOME, 690 So. Main St., Fall River, with a funeral mass in St. Stanislaus Church at 10:00 AM.
Burial took place in St. Patrick Cemetery.
The following eulogy was read by his daughter-in-law at his funeral mass: PéPé was a man of few words, but his eyes spoke volumes. One look from him and it was clear if you were in trouble or about to get teased. He was one of eighteen children. By the time he was 16 Louis was already living out of the house to make room for the younger children. Louis Le Guyader served in World War II , when his tank was hit he courageously went back in to the flaming tank to rescue his captain, and carried him on his back until he was shot in both legs. As a prisoner of war he almost died but it was his survivalist spirit that made him persist, he was finally placed at a farm in Germany where he was practically treated as a family member. For his courage and service he received the Croix de Guerre. While courting MéMé his persistence gave him the hope of a "oui je voudrai bien danser" as he walked almost ten miles to the dance to meet her. They were indeed married and had three children Eliane, who with her son Jean-Luc, is now reunited with her father, Ginette, and Désiré. As he raised his family in Brittany, he was the one the neighbors turned to when they needed help, or to borrow any farming equipment. It was his independent spirit that made him such a devoted father, going across France to Paris to work on supplemental farms during the summers. To secure his family's future he travelled farther coming to America by boat. When asked about the journey, the twinkle comes to his blue eyes as he shares how the ship was just full of whimps getting seasick while he and his "copain" just reached behind the counter to help themselves to food and drink. Pépé was a resourceful person and when he lived in New York he worked in many restaurants and ultimately became a chef. On one occasion he rescued a disaster, running out of vegetables, by creating a dish that is stilled served today Pommes Louis. PéPé was as passionate about fun as he was about his family and work. His first mastery was pétanque, the French Bocce Ball. As a matter of fact he was proudest when, after a morning of fishing and running late, he received third place with Bernard and Yannick (three generations) in a tournament, against world renowned pétanque champions,… he was seventy five. The other sport he mastered was fishing. It's interesting this sport he learned from his son, Désiré. One of the best fishing trips found PéPé yelling "Attention" as he almost knocked out Nicolas while he reeled in fish after fish. PéPé enjoyed life, and at every family gathering he shared joke after joke even singing at times, leaving MéMé holding her side practically in tears with laughter. During a visit to Fall River on his daily walks, PéPé spotted a house and decided this was going to be his home. Indeed he and MéMé lived here for about fourteen years, growing potatoes, leeks, lettuce, carrots, haricots verts, all their vegetables and the most delicious sweet raspberries. He begrudgingly watered MéMé's flowers planted so devotedly by Ginette, just to make her happy saying if it were up to him, the yard would be more useful as a potager, proper farm. In fact he only shared the garden with his beloved turtle "Swas". The times when PéPé's eyes showed disappointment was if you were a few minutes late to the Saturday night aperitif. Surrounded by his children and their children he was the most animated and joked and recounted stories, only bringing fear to Sebastien, who was afraid of PéPé's Tonnaire de Brest. The funniest sight was PéPé watching wrestling on TV. In the beginning of the program his chair may have been the usual 7 to 10 feet away but after PéPé helped those wrestlers win his chair was practically on the mat in the TV.
With Sabine, Alexa, and Florence he was always so generous reaching in to turn his pockets inside out saying "Oh, I'm a poor man " feigning a cry and handing over all the coins.
We picture PéPé up in heaven where he is either helping someone, making someone laugh, swinging a fishing pole or doing his signature hop as he launches the winning boule, saying, "Whoahh ça peux aller."
It is very clear-- Louis Marie Le Guyader has closed his eyes on this world, but the legacy, and example of loyalty and love of life will twinkle on in the eyes of his family and friends. Kénavo PéPé, good-bye, au revoir, until we meet again, Allah y'irhamak-may the Lord have mercy on your soul…