Willem Cools

OPELOUSAS - A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, July 3, 2015, at St. Landry Catholic Church. Interment will follow at the Bellevue Memorial Park Cemetery.

Willem Granville Cools (Billy) died on Monday, June 29, 2015, at age 73 after a period of hospitalization at Opelousas General Hospital / St. Landry Extended Care Facility.

Mr. Cools was born in Opelousas on August 22, 1941, and graduated from the Academy of the Immaculate Conception in the class of 1960. He attended college at University of Southwestern Louisiana with a degree in history. He did graduate work at LSU, and then at University of Florida, where he obtained a Master's degree in Plant Pathology. He worked for a number of years in Arizona and California in the botanical field. He subsequently returned to the Opelousas area where he worked in landscaping and garden maintenance. He spent his later years in the Washington/Grand Prairie area. He was known to have encyclopedic knowledge of history and plant pathology, and often regaled his friends with interesting historical facts.

He is survived by his sister, Mary Cools Biundo (Joseph), and three nieces, Beth Biundo (Jude Chauvin), Brenda Biundo, and Jennifer Biundo (Stephen Pipkin), and three great nephews, Sascha, Cyrus, and Arthur.

He is predeceased by his father, Willem Granville Cools, and his mother, Mabel Amy Cools.

Visitation will take place at Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home of Opelousas on Thursday, July 2, 2015, from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM and will reopen on Friday at 8:00 a.m. until time of service. A rosary will be prayed at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Family and friends are invited to view and sign the online guest book at www.lafondardoin.com.

Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home of Opelousas, 2845 S. Union St., Opelousas LA 70570, 337-942-2638, is in charge of the arrangements.

Visitation

Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home of Opelousas
2845 South Union Street
Opelousas, LA  70570
Thursday, July 2, 2015
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Service

Rosary Service

Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home
2845 South Union Street
Opelousas, LA  70570
Thursday, July 2, 2015
7:00 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial

St. Landry Catholic Church
1020 North Main
Opelousas, LA  70570
Friday, July 3, 2015
10:00 a.m.

Cemetery

Bellevue Memorial Park Cemetery
4833 Hwy. 182 South
Opelousas, LA  70570