Paul Steve Benoit

Paul S. Benoit passed away on February 4th, 2025. He was a native of Lafayette Parish. Paul was educated in local parochial and public schools and graduated from UL Lafayette in 1960 in the school of business. He subsequently worked on an MBA  at the University of Houston but left Houston before completing the course requirements. During his career, he worked for a number of major corporations in accounting and information technology in Texas, Oklahoma and Maryland. Paul ended his career while working for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, DC. While at GAO he served on loan to the U.S. Representatives, Subcommittee on Oversights and Investigations, and in the office of the first Inspector General of the U.S. House of Representatives. Paul served in the U.S. Navy as a commissioned officer and attained the rank of Lieutenant. He was aboard the USS Okinowa (LPH-3) during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Paul was published in a number of international magazines in the field of data processing management. He was listed in a number of Who's Who including Who's Who in the East.

At his request, Mr. Benoit was cremated. His ashes will be scattered over the Pacific Ocean at a point of his choosing off the cost of Pacific Grove, California where he loved to sit and watch the sun set.

Mr. Benoit was preceded in death by his parents, Lena Ancelet Benoit and Saul Benoit, and grandparents on both sides on the family. His marriaage to Jane Morrison, who is also deceased, ended in divorce.

While Paul lived most of his adult life away from Louisiana, he identified strongly with Louisiana and was very proud of ihs Acadian and Spanish heritage. Many of  Paul's family lines are traceable to Nova Scotia and prior to the mid 1600's in France. He also had a Spanish line that is traceable to the Canary Islands and prior to that to the mid 1600's in Spain. His ancestors were part of one of the first three Spanish settlements in Louisiana. His first language was French which he retained until his death.

In life, Paul had many interests but his first love was fine arts. He not only loved to view art but frequently could be found studying an artist of interest's life and works in great detail. He did some painting of his own and was a collector. He was an avid reader on whatever subject aroused his curiosity at the time. At various times he was into photography, landscape gardening, cooking, and decorating. When something came up that caught his interest, he picked up a book and learned how to do it. He was an avid crossword puzzle solver.

Paul considers one of his major accomplishments the establishment of The Paul S. Benoit Endowed Scholarship in Business Administration at Univeristy of Louisiana Lafayette. It will disburse scholarships in perpetuity to deserving students.