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Milton "Boo Boose" Guilbeau
May 11, 1927 - August 04, 2021
LAFAYETTE ~ Funeral services will be held Friday, August 6, 2021 at an 11:00 a.m.
Mass of Christian Burial in St. Peter Roman Catholic Church in Carencro for Milton
Louis Armand Guilbeau, age 94, who passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded
by his family and friends, on Wednesday, August 4, 2021.
Interment will be in Evangeline Memorial Gardens in Carencro. The Rev. Mario Romero,
pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, will officiate at the services. Readers will be
Bridget Vincent and Kaye Prejean.
Musical selections will be provided by Tony Broussard, Tammy Lynn Maturin and Richard Comeaux.
Mr. Guilbeau, affectionately known as “Boo Boose”, was born in Ossun, Louisiana
on May 11, 1927 to Augustin and Lydia Broussard Guilbeau as the baby of eight
children. In his younger years, he attended school at Joseph Broussard School
on land donated by his Broussard grandfather and later graduated from Scott High School.
After high school Milton met Sadie Marie Courvelle from Cankton, Louisiana and they
were married on February 14, 1950. They moved to Lake Charles for a time before
returning to Acadiana to live in Lafayette where they made their home. They had a
beautiful little girl, Lisa Marie, who stole his heart.
Milton worked as a plumber in his early years, owned a business for a short time, then
was hired by Coburns Supply. While working at Coburns, Milton furthered his career by
taking Dale Carnegie courses. He was always learning, even on computer courses for
Adobe Print Shop. He was a wealth of knowledge on so many subjects. He was instrumental
in putting computers in all Coburns locations and organizing entire inventory systems.
After years of hard work, he was raised to manager of Coburns Supply in downtown Lafayette,
then promoted to President of the Maloney Division of Coburns, until his retirement in 1992.
He played music early on while working at Coburns. He played with many bands, early on
with the Streamliners, who performed on radio and T.V., and local clubs. Back then it
was frowned upon to be a musician and have a respectable job. Milton would only allow the
camera to show his hands as he played the steel guitar. He used the name Mr. X.
He started playing steel guitar at an early age, taking his old guitar and raising the
strings on it. While serving in the Navy he would play this guitar and it sounded like
Hawaiian music using his pocket knife to make the chords. When he first started playing,
he was only making about 4-6 bucks a gig.
One steel he made out of plumbing parts was on exhibit at Hillard Museum, featuring a
lap steel he made out of cypress, made of nails and strings. He was honored there for
“Crafting the Louisiana Sound: Tools of Cajun and Creole Music.” This honor meant the
world to him.
In the 1970’s he worked with Joe Douglas and even played the Grand Ole Opry in ’75.
Then he worked with C.O.D., who was named Best Country Band in the ‘80’s. He also worked
with Louis Meaux and The Rhythm Kings and was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
in 1997.
He worked with so many talented musicians in Acadiana, and befriended many in the country
music industry, such as Buddy Emmons, “Big E” as he was fondly called by all steel
guitarists in Nashville and around the world. Milton called Emmons “Big E” and
Emmons would fondly call Milton “Big M”!
He met many stars and friends along the way.
Milton was an inventor, a craftsman, a builder, a mentor and a teacher to many in
the music industry. A man of many talents. He played steel guitar, mandolin and dobro.
He lived a very full 94 years and was blessed in so many ways. His greatest joy in
his later years was the birth of his grandson, Frankie. He spent those days playing,
designing and building toy trains that Frankie loved, and every child that went to see
Beau Beau enjoyed as well!
He enjoyed his successes in life, but was a simple man. As Frankie puts it, “A simple
man is not a shallow man.” He was simple yet had such a huge and giving heart with his
family and friends, and a depth of musical appreciation. He gave generously from his
heart to those in need.
Milton never missed functions for Frankie and the kids, grandkids, and the great
grandkids he adopted in his heart as his own. He was dedicated and loyal to his
family, and spent his life making sure his daughter and grandson would be taken care
of after his passing. The best way to carry on the goodness he showed to others is to
live by the quote he used in his emails, “My goal is to assist as many people as possible,
especially the shut-ins and underprivileged.”
Let us honor Beau by living our lives each day doing good for others around us!
He will be so greatly missed by so many in the music industry, our community, and by
family and friends. Our eight-toe-Beau, as we called him, may you rest now in peace
with God and the love of your life, Sadie. Thank you for all you did for us. We love
you dearly.
Survivors include his daughter, Lisa Marie G. Parks and grandson, Frank (Frankie)
Parks, IV; many nieces, nephews, and an abundance of adopted children, grandchildren
and great-grandchildren who called him Beau Beau.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 62 years, Sadie Marie Courvelle Guilbeau;
his parents, Augustin Guilbeau and the former Lydia Broussard; two brothers,
Viateur "Ta-Too" Guilbeau and Raoul "Choon" Guilbeau; and five sisters,
Solange “Susu” G. Hernandez, Laurence "LoLo" Trahan, Irene G. "Nan" Latour,
Winnie "Win" Dupuis and Amy "T-Mae" Guilbeau.
A rosary will be prayed at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed from 4:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Thursday and will continue from 9:00 a.m. until service time on Friday.
Pallbearers will be Frank Parks, IV, Blaine Courville, Tony Broussard, Randy Maturin,
Edward Hebert and Richard Comeaux.
Melancon Funeral Home, Evangeline Memorial Gardens Chapel, 4117 N. University Ave., Carencro, (337) 896-3232, is in charge of arrangements.
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