Colette Preau Greer

Colette Preau Greer returned to her heavenly Father on the early evening of January 16, 2025. She ran the good race and fought the good fight, bringing only grace and light to all those whom she touched. She was universally loved by those who knew her.

Born February 17, 1943 to Armand Preau and Georgie “Dottie” Gonsoulin, she was raised in New Orleans with her older sister Mildred Ann Preau and numerous cousins. After attending a few different parochial elementary schools she attended the then new St. James Major High school and graduated in 1961.

Colette was married to her first husband in 1963 and between then and 1973 gave birth to Danielle, Harold, Barbara (Babs), Mark and Christopher. The children are married, successful and thriving with families of their own, giving Colette eight grandchildren – Rene, Tyler, Jordan, Jacob, Mallorie, Gabriel (Gabe), Thomas and Emily. She also has five great grandchildren – Charlotte (Lottie), Rene (Trip), Beau, Emma, and Walker. This beautiful family was Colette’s greatest source of pride and happiness.

Once her youngest child Christopher started elementary school, Colette set out to get the college degree she couldn’t pursue right after high school and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Southeastern Louisiana University. Over the course of several years working as a Diet Tech she completed a pre-planned course leading to her eventual certification as a Registered Dietitian (RD). Colette took great pleasure and satisfaction from her work helping people to address the various conditions that require special diets. As a Christian, she was known to provide anonymous assistance to some of her patients of lesser means. After two decades in the field, Colette retired after Hurricane Katrina when an infection caused her to suffer vertigo and made driving unsafe for a period of time.

In retirement, Colette once again became a homemaker. She was an avid gardener of both flowers and vegetables. Perhaps the very day before her brief illness that led to her passing she was out in her vegetable garden tending her third crop of greens.

Colette was able to devote her time to the different things she loved so much. Always a woman of faith she began to say Novena’s daily, always starting a new one when she had finished the previous. She loved to cook, particularly in the Cajun style and her list of specialties included Turkey and Sausage as well as Seafood Gumbo, Chicken Stew, Smothered Chicken, Oyster patties, Oyster soup. She cooked a mean Pot Roast as well as the Italian version called Stracotto and which we all called Strufatto! Having lived in New Orleans, Houston, Tyler, Paris Texas, and Hammond she also acquired many regional dishes that enabled her to serve up an extensive menu!

Colette has been married to her husband, Joseph “Michael” Greer, for 36 years. Together, Mike and Collette built a life for themselves and their family and Mike readily admits that Collette made him a better person.

Colette is survived by her husband, her sister and all of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She is and will always be missed, even though we all know that she is in heaven and near us still.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Mass to be held at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1501 West Causeway Approach, Mandeville, LA on Friday, January 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM with Visitation prior at 10:00 AM. Inurnment following at St. Lazarus of Bethany Memorial Garden, 450 Holy Trinity Drive, Covington, LA. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial donations in Colette's honor be made at https://give.preborn.com/preborn/give. Please be sure and check the “Donate in honor or memory of” box, put in Colette as the person to honor. Then put Michael Greer – mikegreerno@gmail.com as the recipient.

God Bless and Godspeed, dearest heart.

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