Patrick Caffery Sr

Funeral services will be at 1:00 PM Saturday, December 21, 2013 at Pellerin Funeral Home in New Iberia, for Patrick T. Caffery, 81, who died on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 in New Iberia. Interment will follow in Beau Pre Cemetery in Jeanerette. A gathering of family and friend will be Friday from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Pellerin Funeral Home in New Iberia. A rosary will be prayed Friday at 6:30 PM. Visitation will continue Saturday from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM. Patrick Thomson Caffery was born July 6, 1932 at Haifleigh Plantation near Franklin, Louisiana, the son of Ralph Earl Caffery and Letitia Decuir Caffery, the eleventh of twelve children. He was the grandson of former U.S. Senator Donelson Caffery. He was married to Anne Bercegeay Caffery. They are the parents of three sons, Patrick T. Caffery, Jr., Kevin M. Caffery and Michael M. Caffery, the parents-in-law of Margaret Mellen Caffery and Katherine Casey Caffery, and six grandchildren, Cathleen, Michael, Jr., Thomas and Anne Brady Caffery, and Caroline Caffery Young, all of whom survive him. He is also survived by one sister and one brother, Cynthia Caffery Lambert of Lafayette and Richardson Caffery of Pensacola, Florida. He attended elementary and high school at Franklin High School and Hanson Memorial High School, graduating from Franklin High in 1950. Mr. Caffery was an accomplished musician and trumpet player, and attended the University of Louisiana, Lafayette on a music scholarship. He was president of the student body and received the saber as outstanding third year Air Force R.O.T.C. cadet. He was graduated from L.S.U. Law School in 1956 where he was managing editor of the Louisiana Law Review. In 1957 he became a member of the New Iberia law firm of Helm, Simon, Caffery and Duhe and practiced for many years with John M. Duhe, Jr. and Eugene Davis in the law firm of Caffery, Duhe and Davis. He served as assistant district attorney for the 16th Judicial District from 1958 through 1962. He was elected as state representative for Iberia Parish from 1964 through 1968. He was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 91st and 92 Congresses until 1973. In 1973 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Americans for Constitutional Action. With Senator Walter Mondale and others he answered President Nixons State of the Union message on behalf of the Democratic Party. He later served as a member of the L.S.U. Board of Supervisors from 1988-1992. He served as president of New Iberia Community Chest and as first president of the New Iberia United Givers Fund, as president of the Iberia Crippled Childrens Association, Iberia District Commissioner of the Boy Scouts, and president of the Rotary Club. He received the New Iberia Jaycees Distinguished Service award in 1959. He served as president of the Iberia Parish Bar Association and as a member of the Catholic High School Board. Pellerin Funeral Home, 502 Jefferson Terrace Blvd., New Iberia, LA 70560, 337.365.3331, is in charge of arrangements.