Mark Dugal

Mark Owen Dugal, 61

Due to the COVID19 pandemic, a private family-only funeral will be held for Mark Owen Dugal who passed away on Saturday, October 17, 2020. Internment will take place at Bellevue Memorial Park following the funeral service. The family plans to hold a Memorial Mass which will be announced at a later date.

Mark Dugal, the son of Paul and Mary Ann Patout Dugal was a native and current resident of Opelousas.  An early adopter of the daily grind, Mark began working full time at the age of 16. His jobs included stints as a diesel mechanic, a grain elevator operator, and as a truck driver for Clover Farm Creamery. Eventually, his interests turned to radios and computers. He worked for several communication companies before opening his own, Versatile Communications, which provided professional radio communications equipment, including high and low band, and 700 and 800 radio systems to public safety agencies, public services and farmers throughout Louisiana. If you didn't know what that meant, Mark could have explained it to you.

Mark lived and died doing things his own way. He was opinionated, stubborn, adventurous and generous. His drink was Seagram's 7 and Sprite and he smoked cigarettes, as he always said he would, until the day he died. He would give the shirt off of his back to help someone in need. His family, technology, and travel were the most important things in his life. He was an excellent cook, known to spend hours browning the meat of choice into a fine gravy or to whip up an even finer macaroni and cheese.

As a licensed ham radio operator and technician, N5TBU communicated with friends and family located around the country. He had an innate understanding of electronics and was the go-to person for problems ranging from questions regarding the history of a piece of farmland to figuring out that new remote control for your TV. He loved hunting, motorcycles, camping, and fresh bread. He despised crab meat in any form and salads with “strange” ingredients. He liked to be notified to “save room” for dessert if it was going to be made available.

Mark was an explorer at heart. He did his best to leave no lonely country road untraveled. He was an avid motorcycle rider who passed many a weekend riding through the old Camp Claiborne. His family has fond memories of camping trips, some of which include flooded tents, and all of which include lots of laughter. He spent hours pouring over internet forums on abandoned rail lines and train depots. He especially enjoyed his yearly motorcycle trips which, more often than not, took him out West. He designed a small trailer to pull vacation essentials behind his bike. Friends and family back home looked forward to photos of beautiful scenery, GPS data, topography maps, and other trip reports including weather conditions and average miles per gallon.

Mark is survived by his parents, Paul and Mary Ann Patout Dugal of Opelousas, his two sisters, Claudia Ann Dugal of Round Rock, Texas and Catherine Lynn Dugal Cahanin, and one brother in law, Lee Cahanin of Opelousas. He has one niece, Aimee Cahanin, her husband Phirun Meach, and three nephews, Charlton Harrison and his wife, Liz, Dimitri Dugal-Hammond, and Eric Cahanin and his wife Mary Trigg. He also has two great nieces, Christa and Stacy Harrison and three great nephews, Brent Harrison, Vaylen Hammond, and James Cahanin. He was preceded in death by his brother James Patrick Dugal, his paternal grandparents, Clifford and Irene Dugal, and maternal grandparents, Oswell and Claudia Bourque Patout, Sr., as well as his dog, Mimi, who set the bar for “good dog” so high that, years later, no other could compete.

Mark will be sadly missed by his family and friends.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you simply drive down a lonely back road and enjoy the scenery in Mark’s honor.

Family and friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.lafondardoin.com.

LaFond-Ardoin Funeral Home of Opelousas has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements.