John M. Dilsaver

John Mannel Dilsaver, Jr. a native of Supply, North Carolina, and a resident of Morgan City since 1938, and of Stephensville, St. Martin Parish since 1978 passed away on Sunday, November 1, 2009 in Lafayette. He was the son of John Mannel Dilsaver Sr. and Jewel Sellers Dilsaver and educated in the public school in Fernandina, Florida. His parents later moved to St. Augustine, Florida where they engaged in the shrimping industry there. By 1938 the Dilsaver family moved to Morgan City after the “Jumbo” shrimp were discovered and the shrimping industry was established locally. As a World War II Veteran John served for four years in the U.S. Navy and saw service in England and Scotland before the D-Day invasion. He was returned to the U.S. as a patient for one year in naval hospitals in New York and California. He was owner of the Marine Construction Company at Patterson, LA. in the 1950’s constructing crew boats, barges and tow boats. By the 1960s he was Co-owner with Robert Young of Houston, Texas of the American Towing Company at Berwick, LA. This company in 1963 became an affiliate of the Brewster-Bartle Drilling Company of Houston, Texas with a maintenance base and district office in Morgan City. He was a former Co-owner of the American Supply Company at Morgan City, and a former Director of the Louisiana Land Owners at Baton Rouge. He was a Board Member in 1969 of the Morgan City Fire & Police Civil Service Board; a member of the Morgan City Doric Lodge F & AM Lodge #205 in 1954; and the 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Baton Rouge Consistry in 1962. In 1963 he was appointed a Director with the Citizen’s National Bank of Morgan City, formerly First National Bank in St. Mary Parish, now Whitney Bank; and was a former board member in the 1980s of the New Orleans Open golfing tournament. After moving to Stephensville in 1978 he served on the St. Martin Parish Water & Sewer Board from 1979 to 2005. He greatly enjoyed his family life, children and grand children, and was an avid golfer and sports fisherman. John is survived by his wife, Catherine Breaux Dilsaver, two sons; Nick Dilsaver and his wife, Suzanne of Jackson, Tennessee and Douglas Dilsaver of Stephensville, his daughter Peggy Clark of Jackson, Mississippi, two sister; Betty Earle and her husband, Bill of Orlando, Florida and Virgina Hill and her husband, Herb of Tampa, Florida, six grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. John is preceded in death by his parents; John Mannel and Jewel Sellers Dilsaver of St. Augustine, Florida; brothers; Quentin Dilsaver of St. Augustine, Ed Dilsaver of Morgan City, David Dilsaver of St. Augustine, Florida; Floyd Dilsaver of Southport, North Carolina; Roy Dilsaver of St. Augustine, Florida; and his sister Margaret D. Adams of Georgia. Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2009 starting at 10:00am until 1:00pm at Twin City Funeral Home and the service will begin at 1:00pm at the funeral home. John will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Mausoleum following the service. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation can be made to Hospice of Acadiana Inc. Suite 200, 2600 Johnston St. Lafayette, LA. 70503-3240