Shirley Mae Daigle 

Published 5:00 am Saturday, June 8, 2024

Shirley Mae Daigle, 80, passed away peacefully in her sleep with her loving family by her side on Wednesday, June 6, 2024, in Lake Charles, La.  

Shirley was born on 21 Jan. 1944 in Lake Charles, La. to Arthur and Irene Ferguson Works.  She married her ‘sweetheart’ of 57 years, Leo Daigle, and moved to Westlake, La. where they lived for over 57 years. 

Shirley never met a stranger and loved children.  She was a volunteer, Altar Society Member and a devout parishioner of St John Bosco Catholic church for her last 57 years.  Not being raised with any religion, she was proud to call herself “a convert” and believed her faith in God was one of the better parts of her life.     

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One of her greatest accomplishments was her children.  She was always involved in all her children’s school activities from being Room Mother to following the Ramettes and the track team as she cheered for her children.  The ever-present team mom, she was always baking, crafting or sitting in a car line to make sure her kids had support.  

She and Leo were always together and enjoyed many years of travelling to see her kids, grandkids and great grandkids all over the country.  And if they were not traveling, you could be sure to find them on Thursday nights at adoration or at the casino at least once a week. 

A wife, mother, Maw Maw, and Mee Maw, she was most loved by her family including daughters, Bajuana (BJ) Daigle and Sandy Cormier of Westlake; daughter, Juanita Stell (Jim) of Baton Rouge; daughter, Melissa Judkins (Bill) of Sulphur; son, Gregory Daigle (fiancée Donna) of Jennings.  

Shirley was a beloved Maw Maw to Matthew Stell, Phillip Stell, Demetrius Judkins (Xiang), Sean Dempkowski, and Katelyn Dempkowski (Mitch).  She was great-grandmother to Story Stell and Benjamin Schultz who loved their Mee Maw dearly.  

She is preceded in death by her husband, Leo Daigle, (her sweetheart); parents, Arthur and Irene Ferguson Works; sister, Loretta VanCleave, and her brother, Robert Works.  

A Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at St. John Bosco Catholic Church with Father Joseph Jenesh as Celebrant.  Burial will follow at the Westlake Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home.  Visitation will be held at Johnson Funeral Home of Lake Charles on the evening of Tuesday, June 11 at 5 p.m. and continuing until 8 p.m. with a rosary being recited at 6 p.m.