James Alexander Rich

A celebration of life service will be held on March 23, 2024 at David Funeral Home 2600 Charity Street Abbeville, LA 70510. Visitation will be at 10:00 AM, with the service starting at 11:00 AM.
We sadly announce the death of our brother, James Alexander Rich, age 74, on February 17, 2024, at Carpenter House, St. Joseph Hospice in Lafayette, LA. 
Jim was born on July 19, 1949, to Harry Isaac Rich, Sr. and Mary Amelia Edgar Rich in New Iberia, LA. He grew up in the rural area between New Iberia and Jeanerette, along Bayou Teche, sharing the adventures of country living with his 4 siblings.
From his early childhood and all his life he had a sympathetic ear and a tender heart for the unfortunate.  In the early fifties when itinerant “tramps” would come begging for food, he would sit on the porch steps with the man, listening and asking questions, while Mama prepared a sandwich or plate of food and a glass of milk for the guest.      
As a true grandson of his daredevil grandfather, Harry Rich the first, acrobatic performer and showman, a contemporary and rival of Harry Houdini, Jim always had an adventurous spirit.  Around five years old he broke his arm pretending to be the “gweat” Superman.  “Mama, my arm looks like a S”.  He would make ramps to crash down from on a tricycle or wagon, singing “Transfusion!” a 50’s novelty song about automobile wrecks. He had no idea what a transfusion was, but the wrecks sounded exciting.  Jim was only one of us to break a bone in childhood. Jim was also the only one of us to call Daddy to get him out of jail. He was there because that night at a restaurant he had pulled down a string of beads in a doorway because his date liked them.
Daddy was a beekeeper, raising and shipping bees all over the world and producing honey. To protect the bees from crop dusting, he moved the beehives to the sandbars in the Atchafalaya Basin, and built a houseboat to work the bee yards.  The sandbars became our adventure paradise for family outings, often school friends coming with us—exploring, swimming, skiing, hunting nutria for crab bait with our dog, Pal, crabbing, fishing, playing in the sand, playing in pirogues.  Daddy had made us each a pirogue.  Later our dates, then spouses, and then children would come with us to this wonderland.  Mama and Daddy were always welcoming and gracious.  When Jim and his brothers were old enough, in summers they worked with Daddy in his beekeeping and honey production, also learning to hunt and fish, operate boats, cook, and so much more.
Jim was an honors student.  After graduating from Catholic High in New Iberia, he earned a Civil Engineering degree at USL, now UL in Lafayette, LA.  While working as a civil engineer in Tennessee, he met and married Marlene Legg.  Coming back to Acadiana, he established Catfish Wholesale, a fish processing plant, which in the late 1980’s was listed in the top 100 businesses in Acadiana.  
Although Jim and Marlene wanted children, none came.  As the grandchildren arrived and Mama and Daddy became “Ma and Pa”, Jim became the fun uncle the grandchildren all adored.  They loved his attention to them, his humor, and the wild crazy games he instigated. Firecrackers in rotten oranges in Pa’s citrus orchard is a fondly remembered favorite.  Balloons in plastic Easter eggs became water balloons at an Easter egg hunt at Pa’s that turned into a huge fun water fight.  The grandchildren could still hunt Easter eggs when they were teenagers because the uncles would hide eggs in trees, ant hills, puddles, a pond, and other creative places.
At those Easter family gatherings, Jim would bring sacks of crawfish and boil them.  He was a good cook, and often had family gatherings at his home, usually serving a big delicious gumbo made of wild geese or ducks he’d hunted.
Always the adventurer there was no risk that he was not willing to take. One adventure that he enjoyed some years ago was hang gliding with his wife Marlene off the top of mountains in Tennessee. That got him interested in flying whereby he got his pilot’s license and eventually bought his own airplane. At that time he and his wife Marlene were running their very successful business, Catfish Wholesale, which he had established with his brother in law, John Powell. He frequently flew his plane for both business and pleasure which resulted in many more scary adventures as told by his many friends who were on those flights.
Jim became a very accomplished scuba diver and spear fishermen winning many awards and trophies with his friend Garland Hebert. Jim became a very skilled hunter and fisherman. There was never a duck or redfish that he would not be willing to go after in very adverse conditions. Jim loved whitewater canoeing and rafting. On those camping trips he continued his reputation as a cherished uncle to his many nieces and nephews as he held marshmallow roasting classes sitting around the campfire.
Jim loved people. He had many friends and was the life of the party. He accepted everyone and was very forgiving. He lived his life to the fullest. As much of a risk taker that he was he had his struggles that he could not overcome. For most of his life he was able to function but as time went on it finally destroyed his health. He was loved by family and friends and he will be missed.
Jim was preceded in death by our beloved grandmother, Laura Kleinpeter Edgar, great aunt Louise Edgar and great uncle Robert Edgar who lived next door when we were children, our parents, his second wife Melanie Hebert Rich, Aunt Jessie Edgar Fleming, nephew Jason Isaac Rich, and sister Margaret Ann Rich Powell.
He is survived by his sister Lillian Catherine Rich Emory (John), his brothers Harry Isaac (Shari)  and William Louis Rich “Bill”, former wife Marlene, nieces and nephews Christopher Clement, Timothy Patrick and Laura  Ann Theall; Alice Marie, George Hamilton, and Jill Frances Powell Richard (Jude); Jessica JoAnn Rich Drews (Kevin), and Jeremy Seth Rich (Kendra); Bonnie Mae Rich, and Tammy Marie Rich Mulhearn; and his first cousins Catherine Fleming Wattigny (Dean), Mary Beth Fleming, Marian Fleming Killen (Pat), and Richard Fleming, Jr. “Buddy” (Jolyn); and his brother-in-law John Powell. He is also survived by his many great nieces and nephews.
The family would like to give special thanks to one of Jim’s friends, Ronnie Whitworth. Ronnie worked tirelessly to help manage Jim’s affairs when Jim, due to his illness, was no longer able to do so. Ronnie was able to provide security for the home as well as arranging certain repairs that were critically needed. Ronnie loved Jim and even after his death Ronnie continues to this day to give support to the family in many ways with his knowledge and insight.
In lieu of flowers please consider donations to St. Joseph Hospice 923 W. Pinhook Rd. Lafayette, La 70503
You may sign the guest register book and express condolences online at www.davidfuneralhome.org
David Funeral Home of Abbeville, 2600 Charity Street, (337) 893-3777 will be handling the arrangements.