Jack Lenis Cormier

Lafayette - Jack Lenis Cormier passed away at his home in Lafayette on the morning of July 18, 2023, after a courageous, 13-year battle with ALS. He was 69 years old. Born in Lafayette on August 31, 1953, Jack grew up in the formative 50s and 60s and fell in love with the sounds and styles of the day. He played the guitar and sang in a band as a teenager, was voted the “most stylish boy” of his senior class, and — ever well-rounded — distinguished himself on the Lafayette High Lions football team. It wasn’t long before he fell in love again — this time with a vibrant young woman named Julie. In 1974, after he graduated from USL, the two were married. They moved to New Orleans, where Jack attended the LSU School of Dentistry and somehow found time to develop a talent for watercolors — a hobby he would enjoy throughout much of his life. After dental school, Jack and Julie returned to Lafayette to open a dental practice and start a family. Their daughter Jayci arrived in 1980, followed by their son Collin in 1983. Of Jack’s many talents, being their dad was perhaps his greatest. After a successful dental career, Jack’s energy and curiosity pushed him to seek out new professional challenges, including second and third careers in stock brokering and marketing. At home, his thirst for knowledge would help to fuel a life-long passion for cooking. For so many who loved him, memories of Jack will also be tied to wonderful tastes and smells — remnants of so many evenings spent in lively conversation while Jack tended to something delicious on the stove. In 2013, big love-struck Jack again when his grandson, Jack Lawrence, entered the world. With the addition of his granddaughter Nori in 2017, he settled into his role as "Doc", as the kids — and eventually everyone else — lovingly referred to him. He always had a chair ride, a French lesson, or a head bonk waiting for them, regardless of how he felt physically. They became the center of his world, and he treasured every opportunity to build lasting memories with them. Jack’s steady hands made him a successful dentist and a gifted painter. But even before 2009, when an ALS diagnosis began to limit his physical abilities, it was his steady temperament that made him a sturdy and dependable friend to so many, and his steady heart that made him a caring husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, and uncle. Among the many who will continue to honor Jack’s memory in their lives are his wife, Julie Cormier; his daughter, Jayci Dean (and husband, Dan); his son, Collin Cormier (and wife, Jasmyne); his mother, Eva (and husband, Allen Guidry); his grandkids, Jack Cormier and Eleanor Cormier; his sisters, Vicki Moras (and husband, Ralph) and Peggy Naquin (and husband, Andy); and a large extended family. He is preceded in death by his father, Carroll Cormier. His family would also like to express their gratitude to Jack's dedicated caregivers: Christy, Kim, Oretta, Maleena, and Lauri and Kent Zerangue. A public memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, July 22 at First Presbyterian Church in Lafayette, with visitation beginning at 10am and a reception following the service. In lieu of flowers, Jack’s family requests that donations be made to Team Gleason for the continued support of ALS patients and research (TeamGleason.org). Cypress Funeral Home & Crematory, 206 W. Lafayette St., Maurice, LA 70555, (337) 740-3123, is in charge of arrangements.

Jack Lenis Cormier

August 31, 1953 - July 18, 2023