'Mr. Marksville' Raymond Laborde dies at age of 88

Raymond J. Laborde, a legendary Avoyelles Parish politician known to some as “Mr. Marksville,” has died at the age of 88.

His political career saw him rise from mayor of Marksville to a floor leader in the House of Representatives to the state commissioner of Administration.

Laborde grew up in Marksville with former Gov. Edwin Edwards and served as commissioner of Administration during Edwards’ final term. They were lifelong friends, and family members said Edwards will deliver the eulogy at Laborde’s funeral.

Funeral services for Laborde are set for 11 a.m. Wednesday in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marksville. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery No. 1.

A wake service will be in the chapel of Hixson Brothers, Marksville, from 2 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, with a Rosary recited at 7:15 p.m.

Minnie Laborde Lafargue, one of Laborde’s daughters, said her father and Edwards still kept in touch regularly.

“Edwin Edwards told Daddy one day, he said, ‘Listen, Raymond, you can’t die. I just have two friends left, and if you die, I’m in bad shape,’” Lafargue said with a laugh.

Laborde served as Marksville mayor from 1958 to 1970, as state representative from 1972 to 1992 and as commissioner of Administration from 1992 to 1996.

He also owned and operated Raymond’s Department Store in Marksville for 63 years.

During his five terms as a legislator, Laborde, a Democrat, became a floor leader for three governors: Edwards, Dave Treen and Buddy Roemer.

Laborde was inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in 2003.

Laborde said his greatest accomplishment was authoring the Reorganization Bill in 1976, which consolidated more than 300 state departments and boards into 20.

"I've been the author of probably more legislation in those 20 years than any other representative," he said at the Hall of Fame ceremony.

He was also proud that "we left surpluses in state government in 1994, 1995 and 1996," during his time as commissioner of Administration.

When he was elected mayor of Marksville in 1958, he was the youngest mayor in the state. His father had served as mayor before him. Laborde later served as president of the Louisiana Municipal Association.

After retiring from politics in the late 1990s, he focused on running his store and spending more time with his family. He also used his store in Marksville as a way to stay connected to the public.

"I don't want to retire," Laborde said in a 2002 interview. "I enjoy visiting with the people. I'm not working too hard. This (the store) gives me a good headquarters."

"People still call on me for favors," Laborde added. "I still have a few friends in Baton Rouge."

Another daughter, Rachel Laborde Voinche of Alexandria, said her father had worked at the store all the way up until last week.

“He loved his store. That was his life,” Voinche said.

“People came to the store to see Mr. Raymond, and to buy clothes, but they enjoyed visiting with them. He’d give them advice,” she said.

“He used his stores as a place to meet his constituents,”  said Laborde’s son Donnie Laborde of Cottonport. “He was available. You didn’t have to call to make an appointment. You just walked in and go to the back of the store where he sold shoes and sit down and talk. If he could help you, he would help you.”

As a freshman legislator, Laborde had blocked Edwards' attempt to pass a tax package. He said it was hard to go against Edwards because "we were classmates in high school" and Edwards was very popular in Avoyelles Parish.

But Laborde said he had been elected on a promise of opposing new taxes. Laborde said he was instrumental in getting the tax defeated in the regular legislative session.

"I got his (Edwards’) attention," Laborde said, then adding with a laugh, "and he got my attention."

Edwards called a special session and got the tax package passed. Laborde, feeling the pressure of Edwards' "attention," reversed himself and voted for the tax in the special session.

"And, oh man, did I catch hell. When I got back home, Edwin had put the word out, and everyone was calling me. Let me tell you, it was mighty uncomfortable. I couldn't wait for him to call a special session, so I could get back there and get that tax passed," Laborde recalled in a 2007 Town Talk interview.

Donnie Laborde said his father “was an old-time politician. … He believed in helping the common person, the poor person.”

Donnie works at the Avoyelles Correctional Center as a GED teacher, and he noted how his father helped lead the effort to keep the Jindal administration from closing the prison in Cottonport in 2011.

“The people of Avoyelles needed somebody to lead them, and he stepped up” to convince legislators to keep the prison open, Donnie said of his father, who had undergone heart-bypass surgery just three weeks before testifying before a House committee.

Raymond Laborde had been instrumental as a legislator in getting the prison built in order to provide jobs in Avoyelles Parish, especially for some parish residents who were traveling to Angola to work at the state penitentiary, his son said.

Now that Raymond Laborde is deceased, the prison will be named after him, Donnie said.

Although his children remember their father’s political career, they also have special personal memories of him.

“He was a wonderful father. He always put his family first. He was always there whenever we needed him,” Voinche said.

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A Granddaughter’s Memory

Chelsey Laborde Blankenship wrote about her memories of her grandfather, Raymond J. Laborde. To see her comments, click on this link:

https://www.shopsosis.com/meet-you-at-paw-paws-store/