Isom Deshotels

Isom Deshotels, 92, a native of Ville Platte Vidrine, Louisiana, and a resident of Opelousas, died Friday, April 24, 2009. Born November 12, 1916 to Henry and Corinne Lebas Deshotels, he grew up in Pine Prairie. He received his B.S. with Distinction in agriculture with a double major in animal science and agronomy from Southwest Louisiana Institute University of Louisiana Lafayette in 1940. His first work after college was in Haiti as an agronomist for Standard Fruit and Steamship Co., overseeing the banana plantation production. During World War II, he served in the New Guinea Campaign and the Southern Philippine Campaign, receiving a Bronze Arrowhead in the latter. He was a military government civil affairs officer in the Army and worked with organizing the government in the liberated territory in the Philippines. After the surrender of Japan, he went to Korea as part of a team of officers to take over the government operation from the Japanese. During his tenure Korea was able to increase rice production from a shortage of 400,000 tons of rice per year to a surplus of 500,000 tons for export. He continued to work in Asia as a rice marketing specialist with the Foreign Agricultural Relations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington. He collected agricultural intelligence in Siam Thailand, Burma Myanmar, Indo-China, Malaya, Singapore and the Philippines. He was part of the U.S. Economic Cooperative Association mission to Burma. He was a Foreign Service Officer with the rank of attach and attended the United Nations Food and Agriculture conferences in Southeast Asia as a member of the U.S. delegation. Ever alert to unusual plant variants he supplied colleagues at one of the U.S. agricultural research stations with collected seed. His collection of Korean zoysia seed resulted in the development of several varieties introduced into commercial trade. A rancher, broker and appraiser, he was President of the Federal Land Bank Association in Opelousas, and founder, president and CEO of Gulf Land and Investment Co., Inc. in Opelousas. He was a past president of the Opelousas Chamber of Commerce, the Opelousas Rotary Club, and the St. Landry-Evangeline Parishes Board of Realtors. He was a member of the Elks, Woodmen of the World, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion. He was a student of languages, proficient in French and Japanese as well as several other Asian languages. He had many interests and was an accomplished amateur artist, as well as a Texas Master Gardener doing volunteer work at Moody Gardens in Galveston. He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Daisy Bourgeois Deshotels; their five children and five grandchildren: Michle Deshotels, her husband Gill Gautreau, and their son and daughter, Jean-Claude and Dominique of Baton Rouge; Marc Deshotels and his daughter Alyce; Phillip, his wife Annette, and their son Michael, of Roswell, Georgia; Paul Deshotels of Arnaudville; and Julie Soldano, her husband Louis, and their son and daughter, Scott and Krysten of Richmond, Texas. He is also survived by his brother Henry Deshotels of Summerville, South Carolina, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Isom is preceded in death by his brother, Russell, and sisters, Elma Ortego; Annie Mae Heissel; Ruth West; and Marjorie Guillory. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Landry Catholic Church at 2:30 p.m., Monday, April 27th, the Rev. Msgr. J. Robert Romero, celebrant. The family thanks Dr. William Briley, Dr. Lionel Mayer, Dr. Michael Burnell, and nurses and staff at Prompt Succor Nursing Home and Louisiana Hospice and Palliative Care. Sibille Funeral Home of Opelousas, 2309 George Drive 337-948-6523, is in charge of arrangements.
ttp:tests4all.org5'keyshi