Obituary for Avia “Avie” Sayes

Avia “Avie” Sayes passed away on October 22,2026 in Baton Rouge at the age of 90.

Beloved wife of Malcolm O. Sayes, daughter of the late Wilmae Bordelon and Lorey Normand, sister of Jean Moreau (husband Alvin), mother of Malcolm D. “Mac” Sayes (wife Cathy), Stuart P. Sayes (wife Rachel), Robert M. “Mark” Sayes (wife Cindy), grandmother of Christie, Jill, Lauren, Brunson, Hunter, Sarah, Genevieve, Lydia, Rebekah, and Robert, great grandmother of Avia, Amelie, Adelyn, Jacob, Caleb, Harrison, Stella, Georgia, Avie, Nora, Brunson, Malcolm, Hannon, and Lucas.

Avie was born on April 12 ,1936 in Johnson Settlement. Our former governor Edwin Edwards’ mother delivered her for a whopping $2.00. She labored hard as a child working in the fields, picking cotton and tending to the farm animals.

Our mother first met our father when she was in high school attending a party at her friend’s house. Somehow my father found out about the party and he and several friends crashed the party. It was love at first sight. They were married for 70 years. The rest is history.

She held various positions besides homemaker including Telephone Operator for South Central Bell, School Teacher’s Aide for Lafourche Parish, and Office Manager for Absolute Care Providers. She also earned her Real Estate License while living in Garyville.

Avie was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, lifelong friend, resourceful homemaker and a woman of deep faith and resilient joy. Avie made lasting friendships everywhere she lived, creating bonds that brought families together in worship and community.

She nurtured her sons with a love of learning, positioning them in the best educational opportunities from playschool to preschool to St Lukes’s Episcopal Kindergarten to summer school and all the way through a COLLEGE GRADUATION. She always insisted on the finest paths for their growth. She made sure that Mac, Stuart, and Mark were active in meaningful organizations and rooted in faith through baptism, first communion, catechism, confirmation and regular Sunday mass. She cheered them on at little league baseball at St. Genevieve and even played catch in the yard to help improve their skills.

She encouraged each of her sons in unique ways placing Mac in the Indian Guides, Stuart in Cub Scouts, always finding ways to enrich their lives.

Her humor shown through even in moments of fear like when the alien abduction craze in the early 1970’s. After watching the TV show AlLien Abductions, we all went outside to gaze into the night sky. She suddenly called out “Here I am, come over and pick me up!”.

Family vacations were always adventures with her from packed meals and snacks to roadside wildflower memories. She pressed these delicate wild blooms into books which still hold their beauty to this day.

Her love of language connected generations from Cajun French with relatives in Marksville and neighbors in Thibodaux to conversations with Parisians in France. She never met a stranger, turning neighbors into extended family – opening doors to lifetime relationships.

In the kitchen she carried on the legacy of her mother, our beloved Meme, crafting culinary delights that nourished both body and soul. We still cherish memory smells and flavors of her rice and gravies, gumbos, crawfish bisque, pralines, and pecan pies.

Life was rich with laughter, faith, and enduring connections. Avie leaves behind a legacy of love of family, community, and most importantly, Jesus Christ. She embodies the vibrant spirit of a wife and mother who gave her all to her family.

We want to thank the staff at Barclay House, St. Joseph Hospice, and her special Caregivers Patricia Williams and Shirley Drake for the care, love, and compassion they extended to her. And not to forget our father Malcolm for his enduring commitment and love to our beloved mother Avie.

Pallbearers will be Brunson Sayes, Hunter Sayes, Robert Sayes, Robbie Moreau, Ryan Moreau, and Jessie Breaux with Honorary Pallbearers Robert Moreau and Andre Breaux.

Visitation will be held on October 30, 2026, starting at 10:30 a.m., 1pm eulogy, and 1:30 rosary at Hixon Brothers Funeral home (445 W. Bon Temps, Marksville, LA) followed by a Mass at St. Joseph Church (141 S. Washington St. Marksville, LA) at 2:30 p.m. officiated by Father Matthew Bonner and ending with the burial at St. Joseph Cemetery #2 (1271 S. Washington St. Marksville, LA).