Services today for Moody

Former educator and mayor Claud “Rusty” Moody Jr. died Tuesday morning — a little more than a month after his Oct. 7 resignation as mayor of Eunice.
A public announcement of his death was made by Mayor Scott Fontenot at a 9 a.m. special Board of Aldermen’s meeting Tuesday at City Hall.
Funeral services are scheduled at 11 a.m. today at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Eunice for former mayor Claud “Rusty” Moody Jr.
Visitation was held from Wednesday and resumed today at 8 a.m. at Quirk & Son Funeral Home until the time of the service at the church.
The former mayor’s death overshadowed the business of the meeting, which was the appointment of Connie Thibodeaux as Ward 4 alderwoman.
Fontenot was voted mayor by the council after Moody resigned Oct. 7. Fontenot had been Ward 4 alderman.
After setting qualifying and election dates, the aldermen, city clerk and mayor shared memories of Moody and expressed condolences to his family.
Moody’s career spanned 42 years as an educator and nearly five years as mayor of Eunice.
Jack Burson, alderman-at-large, said, “I had the pleasure of watching Rusty Moody operate as principal for 17 years at Highland Elementary School right across from my house. I used to notice how the kids would run up for a hug when they got off the bus.
“One of his former students, who now works for a city street crew, told me a story about the time he got paddled for misbehaving and then got his hug and candy before he left the office.
“Rusty had a rare ability to get people to do what they should be doing with great good humor, which seems to be somehow a lost art in our politics in America today. I don’t think I ever met a better man in all the years I’ve worked with various governmental bodies. We will miss him. He set a high standard we will have to live up to.”
Moody was elected with 69 percent of the vote in the November 2010 election and was re-elected in 2014 with no opposition.
Earlier this year he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but continued his duties.
“The council has done a wonderful, amazing job of bringing Eunice back,” he said at the time of his resignation.
Jason Bertrand, Ward 1 alderman, who is serving his first-term on the board, said, “Prayers for his family and loved ones. Just wished I could have had the opportunity to have worked with him a little bit more. I definitely will use him as a role model for future endeavors here with the city.”
The other newcomer to the board, Marion “Nootsie” Sattler, also offered prayers and condolences to Moody’s family.
“I had the pleasure of working for him the last 10 months. Wish it could have been longer. Very inspiring man. He gave me a lot of advice ... he told me ‘whatever you do, return your phone calls.’ That stuck with me.”
Fontenot said he knew Moody before they served together in city government beginning five years ago.
“I couldn’t have asked to work with anybody else. I looked up to him as a father and grandfather. He was my best friend,” Fontenot said.
Germaine Simpson, Ward 2 alderwoman, said, “I had the opportunity to serve with Mayor Moody for four years and it was an honor serving with him. It was my first full four-year term and it was a good four-year term. I enjoyed serving with him and I’ll miss calling the office giving a him a hard time early Monday mornings. I enjoyed the time we shared in those four years.”
Vernon McManus, city attorney, said, “Rusty was a good guy and I spent many hunting trips with him and played many card games with him. He was always a heck of good guy to be around. A lot of fun. He was a great educator and a terrific mayor. I know I will miss him. I know all of our mutual friends will miss him.”
Ginny Moody, city clerk, noted her family connection to the former mayor.
“He was my much older cousin and sometimes he would treat me like I was 6 years old again,” she said. “I would call his mama whenever he got out of line, and she is 93 years old, and he still listened to his mama when she would fuss.”
In a phrase often mention, Ginny Moody said, “He was a good guy.”
She said, “He really liked the people of Eunice, especially the kids. That was his number one priority. He just loved the kids and he always wanted to make sure it was a good safe place for them to grow up. He will be missed.”
Harry Summerlin, a retired educator who worked with Moody at City Hall, said the former mayor worked his way through the ranks as from teacher to assistant superintendent.
“He was a good teacher and an excellent disciplinarian because he did it with love,” Summerlin said. “He was damn good administrator.”
Summerlin, former principal at St. Edmund High School, said he, Freddie Fruge and John Baham “coerced” Moody into running for mayor.
“We knew he would be a good mayor. Needless to say he ran unopposed the second time he ran,” he said.
Moody was a teacher at Eunice Junior High, assistant principal at the junior high, principal at Highland Elementary and assistant superintendent of operations.
Moody was selected as St. Landry Parish Elementary Principal of the Year and Acadiana Reading Council Principal of the Year.
Moody is a 1961 graduate of Eunice High School. He continued his education at Louisiana State University to a master’s and 30-plus degrees.
He served fro 1967 to 1969 in the U.S. Army and was stationed in South Korea.
Among the accomplishments he cited are:
Worked to bring about a feeling of unity to the city and City Hall by working with council members.
Worked with Eunice’s Bulb and Blossom Club and Keep Eunice Beautiful to clean and beautify the city.
The city received $$350,000 from Florida Gas for improper billing.