Funeral services for Walter Leo Fitzenreiter Jr., 93, of Hornbeck, were held July 27 at the Hornbeck United Methodist Church with the Reverends Daniel Na and Wayne Chance officiating. Burial followed in the Prewitt’s Chapel Cemetery in Hornbeck, under the direction of Labby Memorial Funeral Home in Leesville.
Walter was born on July 13, 1926 to Walter Leo Fitzenreiter Sr. and Ernestine Louisa Perkins Fitzenreiter. Leo died in his sleep at home early Tuesday morning, July 23, 2019 after a battle with cancer.
He was a 1943 graduate of Reeves High School. Leo served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War. After returning home, he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University. Leo and his wife Mavis celebrated 65 years of marriage in October 2018.
Leo and Mavis raised their four children in Sulphur. At the age 55, he retired from Cities Service as a plant manager, after which he and his wife built their retirement home in Hornbeck. Leo was a member of the Hornbeck United Methodist Church, Chief of the Plainview Volunteer Fire Department, and founder of the Plainview Area Association. Leo was a lifelong gardener and fisherman.
His love of family was boundless. His wife and children were his greatest treasures. To know Leo was to know a man of honor, respect, and dignity. He believed in leaving things better than he found them and to put the needs of others before his own.
He is survived by his wife, Mavis Jones Fitzenreiter of Hornbeck; daughters, Valerie Fitzenreiter of Hornbeck, and Laura Fitzenreiter LeDoux and son-in-law Anthony LeDoux of Sulphur; sons, Robert Fitzenreiter and daughter-in-law Sarah of DeQuincy, and James Fitzenreiter of Many; grandchildren, Jillian Fitzenreiter, Laurie Chancey, Amanda Dinger, Garren Fitzenreiter, Denis LeDoux and Andrew LeDoux; grand-dog, T-Bone aka “The Beast”; and great grandchildren, Kian Bonin, Aubrey Bonin, Paisley Bonin, McKenna Bonin, Seth Dinger and Lily Dinger.
Leo is preceded in death by his father, Walter Leo Fitzenreiter, Sr.; mother, Ernestine Louisa Fitzenreiter; sister, Ruth Eubanks Smith; dog, Rattler; cat, Hobbes; and grand-dog, Jazz.
The family offers their sincere appreciation to Kindred Home Health and Hospice of Leesville for as Leo put it, “Making my end days better.” We also offer a special thanks to Dr. Kimberly Landrum for treating Leo with love and respect. Thank you to all family and friends for your visits, gifts of food, phone calls, emails and texts.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations to the Hornbeck United Methodist Church or to the Prewitt’s Chapel Cemetery Fund.
Words of comfort may be expressed to the Fitzenreiter Family at www.labbymemorial.com