Russell E. Dupuis

Russell Edward Dupuis passed away at his residence on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at the age of 89. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. in the Sunrise Chapel at Walters Funeral Home.  Deacon Ken Soignier will officiate the services.  Interment will immediately follow in Calvary Cemetery.

Visitation hours will be observed at Walters Funeral Home on Thursday, March 7, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. until time of service at 2:00 p.m.  A rosary will be prayed at the funeral home at 11:30 a.m.

Russell was born in Ruth, Louisiana on June 26, 1934, and was the seventh of nine children born to Paul Patrick Dupuis and Heloise Chauffe Dupuis. He often spoke of his childhood and told many stories about life growing up near Lake Martin where he would swim in the bayous, fish in the lake, run to school barefoot and pick cotton and peppers all day just to save enough money to buy shotgun shells for a borrowed shotgun. As a young man he would ride his horse and rope cattle in the woods getting paid by the head. The stories were numerous but there was one story he was particularly proud of and that was the story of the night they tied a light around a goat’s neck while night hunting to throw the game wardens off their trail as they hid in the grass.

Russell was a hard worker and had numerous jobs over the years. He was a cowboy, mechanic, roughneck, derrickman (because it paid more and heights didn’t bother him), dredge operator, racehorse owner, crawfisherman, and iron worker, just to name a few. He was co-owner of Dupuis Construction Company and was the owner/operator of Dupuis Steel Erectors at the time of his retirement. He never passed up an opportunity to point out the numerous buildings “he put up” over the years.

Always a cowboy, upon retirement he enjoyed raising cattle on the property and looked forward to his daily routine of checking on them until his health started to decline. He often spoke about the difficulties he had in school because of his dyslexia and took great pride in learning to read later in life. Despite not having a formal education he prided himself on being able to build and fix just about anything.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Maria Gorczakowsky Dupuis; sons, Ross Edward Dupuis and Rudy Edward Dupuis; daughter, Olga Ann Dupuis Watts (James C.); and grandchildren, Dillon Edward Dupuis, James Russell “J.R.” Watts, Madison Ann Dupuis and Landen Wayne Dupuis; brother, Jason Dupuis; and his sister, Eliza “Toot” Dupuis.

He is preceded in death by his daughter Tina Maria Dupuis Permetti; parents, Paul Patrick Dupuis and Heloise Chauffe Dupuis; sister, Joan Molbert; and his brothers, Paul Dupuis, Harvey Dupuis, Alvin Dupuis, Richard Dupuis and Nathan Dupuis.

Pallbearers will be Ross Dupuis, Rudy Dupuis, Bochdan Gorczakowsky, James C. Watts, Mike Dupuis and Jeff Dupuis.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Dillon Dupuis, James Russell “J.R.” Watts and Landen Dupuis.

The family would like to thank the staff of Traditions Health for their kindness and care while attending to Russell.

Walters Funeral Home, (337) 706-8941, 2424 N. University Ave. in Lafayette, is in charge of funeral arrangements.