Oswald Decuir
| Oswald Antoine Decuir, Jr. | |
 | |
Louisiana State Senator for Iberia
and St. Martin parishes | |
| In office 1976 – 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Hardy |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Craig Romero |
| Born | August 23, 1940 New Iberia, Louisiana |
| Died | September 3, 2024 (aged 84) New Iberia |
| Resting place | Holy Family Cemetery in New Iberia |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Loretta Young Decuir |
| Children | Jon Scott Decuir, Sr.
Parents: |
| Alma mater | New Iberia Senior High School Louisiana State University |
| Profession | Attorney |
Oswald Antoine Decuir, Jr. (August 23, 1940 – September 3, 2024), was an attorney, Democrat state senator, and judge from his native New Iberia in Iberia Parish in south Louisiana. He was the eldest son of Oswald Decuir, Sr., and the former Beverly Landry. He graduated in 1958 from New Iberia Senior High and in 1962 from Louisiana State University in the capitol city of Baton Rouge.[1]
He married his college sweetheart and wife of sixty-four years, Loretta Young Decuir. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Tulane University Law School in 1966. While serving as a Clerk for the Louisiana Supreme Court, he was admitted to the Louisiana Bar Association in 1966 and remained an active member until his passing. [1] He was state senator from 1976 to 1992, when he resigned to become an appellate judge on the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeals, a post that he filled until 2012.[1][2]
Republican Governor Jeff Landry paid tribute to Judge Decuir in a tweet on Elon Musk's X. As Attorney General (before his election as governor in 2023), Landry noted that he had convinced Decuir to serve for eight more years in the Louisiana Department of Justice. "He still wanted to serve his state, and I’m grateful he did." Landry wrote. Landry also lowered state flags to fly at half staff for one day in Decuir's memory.
Judge Decuir was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Bill Mitchell and Bob Mitchell, and stepfather, William Mitchell. He was survived by his wife; his sister Myra Decuir Gosnell; his son Jon Scott Decuir, Sr. (Loren Mancuso Decuir), and two grandchildren. A mass was celebrated on September 10 at St. Peter's Catholic Church in New Iberia. He was entombed in the Holy Family Cemetery.[1]