Deacon Nick Anthony Messina Sr.

Deacon Nick Anthony Messina Sr., 74, a native of Independence and resident of Houma, died at 9:25 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. Visitation will be from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at Chauvin Funeral Home and from 8:30 a.m. until funeral time Thursday at St. Anthony Catholic Church. Mass will be at 11 a.m . Thursday at the church with burial in St. Francis de Sales Cemetery No. 2. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Hebert Messina of Houma; two sons, Nick Anthony Messina Jr. of Schriever and Michael Messina and wife, Cela, of Houma; three daughters, Donna Messina, of Pensacola, Fla., Gina Lissner and husband, Forest, of Schriever, and Melissa LaCoste and husband, Warren, of Houma; two brothers, Mario Messina of Independence and Frank Messina of Kenner; one sister, Laura Johnson of Denham Springs; his mother-in-law, Lee Ida Rodriguez of Houma; four grandchildren, Stephen Messina, Melissa Pedigo, Warren “W.J.” LaCoste Jr. and Sean LaCoste; three step-grandchildren, Adrian Garcia, Maria Garcia and Maritza Garcia; two step-great-grandchildren, Christian Garcia and Caden Garcia; and his special pet P.D. He is also survived by his special friends, Lamar Mooneyham, L.J. Champagne, Ernest “Bubba” Breaux, Father Gerard Hayes, Sister Miriam Mire and families of the community of Bayou Black. He was preceded in death by his parents, Anthony Messina and Anna Munieve Messina; one brother, Carlo Messina; three sisters, Annie Albrado, Virginia Rainey and Frances Willingham. He was the former owner of Best Bakery and a deacon at St. Anthony Catholic Church for 28 years. He was a chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, a past president of St. Joseph Italian Society, a Bayou Black volunteer firefighter, a former southeast Louisiana regional high school football referee, a former member of the Terrebonne School Board, a former board member of SLECA and a member of the American Legion. He was a chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy and veteran of the Korean War. He was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church.