Joan Marie Benoit

Joan graduated as valedictorian from A.M. Barbe High School in 1983. She earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in mathematics from McNeese State University in 1987 and a master’s degree in computational mathematics from Arizona State University in 1990. After school, she worked in Houston doing seismic data processing for the oil and gas industry.

Joan devoted her energy and enthusiasm to her daughter, who has excelled academically and as a competitive swimmer. She had many close friends who traveled with her and supported her throughout her cancer treatment. She traveled the world for work and fun, often with her extended family. She was an easygoing, happy hostess who always welcomed company. Her family loved spending weekends and holidays at her house, especially Thanksgiving. She showed others the importance of being brave, working hard, and never missing the opportunity to have adventures and make memories with people they love.

She is survived by her daughter, Ellen Atkinson of Katy, Texas; father, James Benoit of Lake Charles; siblings, Ellen DeWitt and husband, David and Tommy Benoit and wife, Aleta, all of Moss Bluff, and Mary Benoit of Iota. She was preceded in death by her mother, Judith Benoit.

Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 25, 2017 at First United Methodist Church in Iowa. The Rev. David DeWitt will officiate. Burial will be in Prien Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017at Hixson Funeral Home in Lake Charles and from 10 a.m. Monday until the time of service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to METAvivor, a nonprofit that funds research for stage 4 breast cancer.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.hixsonfuneralhomes.com