Obituary of Duke Shackelford

Duke Shackelford, 81, of Hollyhurst Plantation, Jones, LA, died peacefully in his sleep at home on Monday, September 24. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 27 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Mer Rouge, Louisiana. Interment will follow in Christ Church Cemetery, Bastrop, Louisiana. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Shackelford was born at the state line north of Jones in 1926, the youngest of five sons of James Barnes Shackelford and Gladys Parks Shackelford. He was a cotton planter and ginner from the time he retured from World War II until his retirement several years ago (but he kept his eye on his farm, as anyone who had the pleasure of riding the fields with him will remember). He is survived by his son George Shackelford of Boston, Massachusetts; his son and daughter-in-law John and Lucy Shackelford of Mer Rouge, Louisiana, and their daughters Lucy Parks, Susan, and Elizabeth Shackelford; and his son and daughter-in-law Parks and Julie Anna Shackelford of Arlington, Virginia, with their daughters Ella and Olivia and their son, Duke. His beloved wife of 45 years, Sue Madison Shackelford, died in 1996. Shackelford was a graduate of Louisiana State University, where he was a member and president of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. In his professional life, he was active in a wide variety of agricultural organizations, including the National Cotton Council. For many years, he served as a director of Cotton, Inc., Entergy, and the Hibernia National Bank. He was known for his pointed intelligence and his strong ironic whit, which many of his friends and family will recall with both smiles and blushes. Above all, he was known for his generosity of spirit and his great hospitality. Pallbearers will be Jackson Curry, Larry Jones, William Priestly, Craig Shackelford, Sam Shackelford, Haynes Whitney and Thomas Whitney. Honorary pallbearers are Kent Anderson, Roy Cole, Joe Davenport, Bill Davenport, L.C. Ervin, O.L. Harper, and Tex Kilpatrick. Those who wish may make memorials to Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, Mer Rouge, or to the educational charity of their choice.