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A lifetime resident and icon of Vermilion Parish, Dr. Corbett J. LeBouef, Jr. died peacefully in his Abbeville home on Friday, July 20, 2018 of heart failure.
He was 79.
Dr. LeBouef, or “Doc” as he was affectionately called, was a highly respected and dearly loved family physician who practiced medicine on Hospital Drive in Abbeville for over 40 years, delivering over 2,000 babies and accruing more than 40,000 active patient files by the time his doors closed in 2003.
He knew his patients, their families and their medical histories well, and went far beyond the physical aspects of medicine, caring for his patients in a way that is far less common today.
Upon retiring, he had treated as many as four generations of some families. Unlike most physicians today, he did not require scheduled appointments.
Instead, he took patients in the order they arrived, dispensing medicine and council to generations young and old, and always taking as long as necessary to ensure each one got the time and attention they needed and deserved. Always a gentleman, he treated everyone with respect and dignity, regardless of their financial status, ethnicity or social standing.
He truly cared about people, not money. He never let the inability to pay hinder complete, quality care and often treated people for a hug or a simple “thank you” as his fee.
Corbett, the youngest of four children, was born September 22, 1938 to Corbett and Relia Frederick LeBouef. At a very young age, he knew he wanted to become a doctor.
He attended grade school in Perry where he was member of Boy Scouts of America and attained rank as an Eagle Scout. He later attended Abbeville High then transferred to Mount Carmel Academy where, in addition to other honors, he was a proud member of the “Iron Dozen” football team, and also attended Boy’s State where he was elected senator. In 1956, at the age of 16, Corbett graduated high school and began his pre-med studies at Louisiana State University. During his freshman and sophomore years, while in the Air Force ROTC, he was a member of the Honorary Saber Air Command. In just three years, at the age of 19, Corbett completed his undergraduate studies in 1959, got married, and was admitted to LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans where he later graduated in 1963. He interned the following year at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. In 1964, at the age of 24, “Corbett J. LeBouef, M.D. Family Medical Practice” became a reality and was faithfully maintained until October 2003.
After retiring from practice, Dr. LeBouef continued serving his community as a Hospice Physician Volunteer until his health no longer allowed.
In 2010, he was honored to be chosen by Hospice to receive the Dr. Jerome Romagosa Physician of the Year Award.
He often spoke of how honored he was to have helped so many lives come into this world and to then have the privilege of helping the terminally ill leave this world peacefully. His life and career did indeed go full circle.
From 1963 until 1969, Corbett served in the Louisiana National Guard, 256th Infantry, and achieved the rank of major on retirement. He served as Aviation Medical Examiner for the Federal Aviation Agency and also served as Vermilion Parish Assistant Coroner for over 40 years.
During his professional career, Dr. LeBouef was a member of the Vermilion Parish Medical Society, Louisiana State Medical Society, the American Medical Society, and the American Academy of Family Practice, as well as serving on various professional boards and committees.
In more recent years, Corbett served on the Levy Cancer Foundation Board. Some of Corbett’s most important time and effort was spent in the halls of Abbeville General Hospital where he was Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff over a span of various years, and was a devoted member of the hospital board for many years.
Dr. LeBouef admitted the first patient to AGH when it opened in 1966 and was always passionately devoted to the hospital’s wellbeing and longevity. Up until the time of his death, Corbett was making efforts to ensure that Abbeville General would always remain a vital part of the community he loved so much.
Aside from being a gifted physician, Corbett was a special man with many talents and interests.
He was fascinated by astronomy and could often be found on a clear night with one of his telescopes. He was a natural born artist and very accomplished oil painter. An active member of a carver’s guild in Vermilion Parish, he spent many hours carving beautiful ducks and other wildlife. Always an outdoorsman, Corbett enjoyed hunting, fishing, and scuba diving.
Perhaps his most precious time spent, aside from that with his wife and family, was on his beloved LeBouef Farms.
While still practicing medicine, he enjoyed spare time there, but after retirement, as long as his health allowed, he spent the majority of his time at the farm, raising cattle and horses with his son and grandson, and caring for the land he grew up on.
Because of Corbett’s many years of caring for people and his significant contribution to his community, he was chosen as the Vermilion Parish Cattlemen’s Humanitarian of the Year; an honor he was very deserving of.
Corbett always loved learning, as well as sharing his own wisdom and knowledge with others. He will continue his teaching, helping future generations of the medical profession, by donating his body to science, something that he was always very passionate about.
Corbett is preceded in death by his first wife and mother of his children, Nancy LeBlanc LeBouef, his parents, Corbett and Relia Frederick LeBouef, his brother, Harry LeBouef, and sister, Mrs. Dennis (Helen) Broussard. He leaves to cherish his memory his loving and devoted wife of 35 years, Kathleen Budd LeBouef. He also leaves behind one daughter, Lisa L. Oliver and her husband, Tim; one son, Corbett J. “Cobb” LeBouef III and his wife, Stephanie; one stepdaughter, Vanessa Kaposta Teicher; and sister, Hazel LeBouef Mouton. Forever with “Pops” in their hearts, are his grandchildren, Corbett J. “Chip” LeBouef IV, Leah Katherine LeBouef, Danielle Oliver Albarez, Donald B. Oliver, T.J. Teicher, Tatum N. Tiecher, Jenna L. Teicher, and one great grandchild, Corbett J. LeBouef V.
The family of Dr. LeBouef would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of the wonderful people at Hospice of Acadiana for the love and special care they gave Corbett in his final days.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 am on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Dr. LeBouef’s name to Hospice of Acadiana, at 2600 Johnston Street, Suite 200, Lafayette, LA 70503.