Gwendolyn Higgins

Gwendolyn Pilcher Higgins was born on September 17, 1921 in New Orleans and passed away on April 1, 2015. Her parents were Miriam Fournier Pilcher Dugas and Joseph Mitchell Pilcher; her stepfather was Allen J. Dugas. Gwen lived in New Orleans until she was eight years old, and then in Lafayette until 1945. In 1943 she married Arthur Douglas Higgins (now deceased) and, when he returned from the Army in 1945, they moved to Jackson, Mississippi. Gwen and Doug and their four children became residents of Lake Arthur in 1950 when they moved from Jackson to start a new business and a new life for the growing family. Gwen was involved in her community and the Catholic Church all her life, serving in leadership positions in the Lake Arthur PTA, Goretti PTO, Lake Arthur Library Club, the Parish Arts Council, Jeff Davis Parish Library Council, Friends of the Ziegler Museum, Entre Nous, and Our Lady of the Lake Altar Society. She was invested as an Officer in the Order of Saint Charles of the Diocese of Lake Charles in 1990 and received the Catholic Daughters Mother of the Year Award in 2008. Gwen was a lifelong learner and, when her children began leaving home to attend college, she, too, finished her degree. Gwen graduated from Lafayette High School in 1936 at the age of 15 and then studied at University of Louisiana at Lafayette for 2 years. In 1973 she completed her BA in English at McNeese State University and began her teaching career at Goretti High School as English teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal. Gwen had a great love of reading and traveling and was conversant on most topics related to literature, history and current events, even into her later years. She loved playing bridge and bouree with her friends. Her greatest love was her family, and she spent much of her retired life traveling with her six children and their spouses in the U.S. and Europe. She was proud of all her children, sons and daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and their love for her was her greatest comfort. Gwen is survived by her children, Richard Stockton Higgins, Muriel Joan Fauvre (John C. Fauvre), Stephen Douglas Higgins (Kimberly Higgins), William Joseph Higgins (Norma Rusbar), Ann Cambias (Edmund Cambias), Carol Fair (Edward Fair), former daughters-in-law, Ursula Higgins, Jacqueline Higgins and Carol Bourke, sixteen grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren, five brothers, Joseph M Pilcher, Jr., Edmond Dugas, Kenneth Dugas, David Dugas and Jean Dugas and two sisters, Muriel Pilcher Webb and Janice Dugas Walters. She was predeceased by her husband Arthur Douglas Higgins, a brother Ronald Pilcher, and a grandson Oliver Higgins. Funeral home visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. until the time of service. The rosary will be held at Miguez Funeral Home, Lake Arthur on April 6 at 6:00 p.m. with eulogies to follow. Funeral services will be held at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church on April 7 at 10:00 a.m. Pallbearers will be Mrs. Higgins’ grandsons and the gifts will be brought by her granddaughters. The family would like to express their deep gratitude to the loving and devoted caregivers who supported their mother to the end of her days. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 203 Commercial Street, and/or the Lake Arthur Woman’s Library Club, P. O. Box 443.