Irving Thomas Comeaux, a man who spent his entire life pouring himself into his community, his craft, and his family, passed away peacefully on May 17, 2026.
He was 82 years old. Born on November 10, 1943, in Morgan City, Louisiana, Comeaux lived his whole life in Bayou L’Ourse, a place he not only called home but actively worked to make better for everyone around him.
To know Irving Comeaux was to know a man who never did anything halfway. He built a 61-year career as a taxidermist, becoming widely regarded as a pioneer in life-size big game taxidermy.
The techniques he developed over decades eventually became standard practice throughout the industry, a distinction few craftsmen in any trade ever achieve.
Generations of customers came through his door and left not only with finely preserved work but with a genuine respect for the man behind it.
Outside of his shop, Comeaux was a fixture on the baseball fields of Bayou L’Ourse. From 1979 to 1998, he coached Dixie Youth Baseball, guiding the Bayou L’Ourse Bobcats through countless seasons and championship runs.
The wins mattered, but those who played for him will tell you that what stayed with them long after the final out was what Coach Comeaux taught them about showing up, working hard, and treating people right.
He coached the way he lived, with patience, consistency, and a deep belief in the kids standing in front of him.
His commitment to public life extended well beyond the ballfield. In 1992, Comeaux was elected to the Assumption Parish Police Jury, a position he held until 2023, a span of more than three decades in service to his neighbors and his parish.
During that time, he helped establish drainage districts, recreational districts, and other community programs that continue to benefit Assumption Parish residents today. He was not a politician in the performative sense. He was a neighbor who showed up to do the work.
At the center of everything was his family. He was married to Janet Topham Comeaux for 64 years, a partnership described by those who knew them as the kind built on genuine love and mutual dedication.
Together they raised three sons, Jim, Glen, and Mark, all of whom settled in Bayou L’Ourse and raised families of their own. Comeaux is also survived by seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ervin and Helen Morgan Comeaux, his sister Virginia Comeaux, and his brother Ronnie Comeaux.
He is survived by his wife Janet, his sister Catherine Hauser of Morgan City, his three sons and their wives, and the extended family he cherished.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Twin City Funeral Home. Visitation begins at 10:00 a.m. Irving Thomas Comeaux will be laid to rest at the Morgan City Cemetery.
He leaves behind a community better for his presence in it. That is a legacy worth remembering.
