Donna Romero LeBlanc

Donna Romero LeBlanc, a long-time resident of Patterson, entered into eternal rest while surrounded by her family on Wednesday, December 1, 2021.

Donna was born in Morgan City on November 7, 1960. She grew up in Berwick and graduated from Berwick High School. She was an incredibly hard worker. She worked many jobs, sometimes more than one at a time, before finding her career in human resources for offshore boat companies. She has spent the last 10 years working for Guice Offshore, a company she loved deeply. She thought the world of her bosses and was so proud to be a part of their team. They made one of her lifelong dreams a reality when they gifted her a trip to New York City. She had always wanted to see the city and was able to fulfill that dream with her two daughters.

She is preceded in death by her mother, Joyce Billiot Romero, her father Ceasar Romero Sr., her sister Tammy Romero, and her fiancé Wade LeBlanc. She is survived by her daughter Danielle Tatum Bales and husband Ben, her son Elmer “Bubba” Tatum III, and her daughter Erin Tatum Atkins and husband Jimmy; her brother Caesar Romero Jr. and wife Chasity; and her grandchildren Maggie Atkins, Darlene Tatum, and TJ Atkins.

If we get any say in what our version of Heaven is, hers will look like Toledo Bend. It was one of her favorite places in the world where she could do one of her favorite things in the world…fish. Every year she would make a trip with her family to catch as many sac-a-lait as she could, and she looked forward to it like children look forward to Christmas. She got almost equal enjoyment out of boiling crabs and crawfish for her family. She loved the table piled high and hands digging in. We can only assume it was this love that led her to boil 70+ pounds of crawfish for 5 people every Good Friday.

Donna was enormously proud of her children and bragged about them to anyone who would listen, but they lost their luster when she became a grandmother. Her grandkids lit up her life, and she was happiest when she was being Granny. There were no rules at Granny’s house or limit on the number of popsicles allowed. She loved spoiling her grandkids with clothes, their favorite treats, and carloads of toys. Target and Carter’s will likely see profits decrease in her absence.

If you knew Donna, you know how strong-willed she was. If you know someone more hard-headed, you are in our prayers. The thesaurus list of synonyms for strong-willed includes determined, decisive, insistent, emphatic, and forceful. She was all these things and more. Once she set her mind to something, it was very unlikely she could be deterred. This determination often translated to fierce devotion. (She stuck by the Saints even in the paper bag era of the 80s.) If you needed her, she was there without fail. She spent much of her life caring for others, especially her mom. She will be deeply missed, remembered daily, and forever loved.

The family would like to thank the first responders from Acadian Ambulance. We would not have had time with her without you. We would also like to thank the staff of the Neurocritical Care Unit at Ochsner Main Campus for their extraordinary care, love, and compassion. She could not have been in better hands, and we are eternally grateful for every one of you.

Visitation will be held at Twin City Funeral Home on Saturday, December 4 from 10:00 to 3:00 with a service beginning at 3 by Pastor John Cannon of Asbury Methodist Church in Lafayette. Burial will follow in Berwick Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Donna’s name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.