Eugene Joseph Fontenot Jr.

Eugene Joseph “Gene” Fontenot, Jr. MD, MPH, JD of Spring, Texas began his eternal life on April 4, 2021. He was 85 at the time of his death. Never one to back down from a battle, Dr. Fontenot defied the odds and battled cancer for four years following a diagnosis that predicted a mere seven to ten months.

Dr. Fontenot’s memory and spirit will be lovingly preserved by Reina, his wife of 43 years, their two children, David and Angelique, and Gene’s brother, Dr. James T. Fontenot. Dr. Fontenot is preceded in death by his parents Ana Fontenot and Eugene Joseph Fontenot, Sr.

On a grave marker, a person’s lifespan is expressed with a date of birth and a date of death, separated by a dash. In her poem ‘The Dash’, Linda Ellis eloquently says, “…that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth and now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth. For it matters not, how much we own, the cars… the house… the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.”

Dr. Fontenot had a dash that most could only admire and aspire to.

His was a dash defined by four loves— love of learning, love of country, and, most of all, his love for his family and his GOD.

Dr. Fontenot’s love of learning is evidenced by the degrees he earned over his lifetime. Dr. Fontenot’s educational achievements began with a Bachelor of Science from Louisiana State University. Next, Dr. Fontenot set his sights on medical school and enrolled in the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico. Dr. Fontenot earned his MD there. Already able to speak French, Dr. Fontenot acquired fluency in the Spanish language, as the medical school curriculum was entirely in Spanish. Years later, Dr. Fontenot would return to school to earn a Master in Public Health from Tulane University and a Law Degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston.

In addition to his many degrees, Dr. Fontenot also held a commercial pilot’s license and had spent time learning to fly amphibian planes. He was also a certified scuba diver, trumpet player, philanthropist, ballroom dancer, and a trained sous chef.

Dr. Fontenot loved his country. He was drafted into the United States Navy and served as a battlefield surgeon in the Viet Nam War. Years later, after a successful career as a physician and hospital owner, Dr. Fontenot became an expert in public policy, voraciously consuming content on the subject, which led Dr. Fontenot to become politically active to repair what he saw as a broken political system. Dissatisfied with the status quo, Dr. Fontenot decided to run for United States Congress in 1994. He won the Republican nomination in the 25th Congressional District but narrowly fell short of victory in the general election. He also ran in the 8th Congressional District. Later, Dr. Fontenot returned to medicine. He worked at UTMB/TDCJ as Medical Director and Clinician. He then went on to work at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office as a physician. He also worked for Veterans’ Evaluation Services.

Dr. Fontenot experienced love at first sight when he met Reina Stanley, a beautiful young Honduran lady in a New Orleans pharmacy. Dr. Fontenot would often tell the story—with his infectious grin on full display—that to gain her attention, he performed his version of a Mexican Hat Dance. It must have been a great dance because he ended up winning her heart and sparking a romance that burned until his last breath. Reina loved him and admired him for he was always respectful and behaved like a gentleman, and appreciated the Spanish tradition of chaperoning. After three years of marriage, they built a loving family with their two children David and Angelique, who gave him so much pride.

There is little doubt it was his faith in God and his love for her, and hers for him, that gave Dr. Fontenot the power to stave off death’s inevitable sting for so long in his battle against cancer. For his faith and trust came from his daily meditation on the scriptures, as in Psalm 18:2 says, “The Lord is my Rock, and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Also, Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?”

In the final days of his fight, it was Gene’s love of GOD that gave him comfort in the knowledge that he and Reina would be reunited one day and spend eternity in each other’s arms, the place he loved most.

The public is invited to celebrate the life of this incredible man,

on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at:

Forest Park Woodlands Funeral Home and Cemetery

18000 I-45 South

The Woodlands, Texas 77384

There will be a visitation at 1:00 PM followed by a 2:00 PM service.

The livestream of the service can be found at: http://gogene.org/

https://everloved.com/life-of/eugene-fontenot/obituary/

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate a tax-deductible donation to:

Bright Destiny, Inc.'s children's ministry.