Doris Mary "Pie" Boyett

Doris Mary “Pie” Boyett, 97, passed away on Saturday, December 27, 2025, in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She was born on December 15, 1928, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Adam “Pope” and Vivian Schexnailder Hebert.

Pie grew up in Plaquemine, Louisiana, with her parents and five siblings. She loved telling stories of how they would all walk home from Catholic school every day for lunch, “dinner” with their parents. She learned to sew in high school, where she won numerous awards in 4-H for her beautiful sewing skills. As the oldest of six, she was often asked to “put the grits on for supper” and made many dresses for her two younger sisters.

Pie met the love of her life, Sammie “Sam” Herbert Boyett, at the dance hall in Plaquemine, LA. They married on November 29, 1950. Sam was in the U.S. Army, which took them away from Plaquemine for several years. Before children, she worked as an insurance clerk and secretary.

Pie and Sam were blessed with five children, all of whom were born in Lake Charles: Ted, Wade, Bill, Roy, and Judy. Pie was a devoted mother with a tender heart. She taught her children countless lessons of love and life and guided them well in the ways of the Church. Her children have blessed her with twelve grandchildren and twenty “greats” (as she loved to refer to them).

In addition to her lifelong love of sewing, which she practiced most days. Pie also delighted in cooking, creating many cherished recipes that remain highly revered and in demand among her children and grandchildren. She taught all of her children and many of her grandchildren how to sew, even if it was just making a pillow or sewing on a button. She created many beautiful dresses for her daughter and granddaughters, and even some special pieces for the boys. Her prized projects included her Christmas stockings, Sam’s Santa suit, and the Mardi Gras “Queen” dress she made for Judy. Pie loved babies: her own, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren, her nieces, nephews, and many others. She also served as a Boy Scouts Den Mother, devoting many years to guiding and nurturing young scouts.

Pie was a faithful Catholic, loving wife, devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister, and daughter. She was an active member of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church for fifty years and served with the Women’s Altar Society for forty years. She also helped with spiritual bouquets, sewing baptismal bibs and priests’ vestments. Pie began the Bereavement ministry at OLQH after she lost her beloved Sam in February 1990. Later in life, she enjoyed traveling with her sister JoAnn Hebert, where they made many cherished memories together.

Pie taught us many lessons: the importance of a strong faith, service to others, kindness, forgiveness, the value of a handwritten note, how to live grace filled and what unconditional love truly looks like. Her kindness and gratitude toward others were remarkable and remained with her until the very end of her life.

She passed away peacefully at Villa Maria Retirement Center, surrounded by family, just twelve days after her 97th birthday.

Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Wade Boyett and wife Becky, Bill Boyett, Roy Boyett, and Judy Boyett Ulery and her husband Jeff; her twelve grandchildren, Christopher Boyett, Quintin Boyett, Eric Boyett, Amy Boyett Berkey, Scott Boyett, Britney Boyett, Amber Boyett Trahan, Taylor Boyett Leboeuf, AnMarie Ulery Clark, MaryFaith Ulery, Bryce Ulery, and Julianne Ulery; her twenty great-grandchildren; three sisters-in-law; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, Sam; her oldest son, Ted Boyett; and her five siblings.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 12:00 PM on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church, 3939 Lake Street, with Msgr. Harry Greig serving as Celebrant. Burial will follow in Consolata Cemetery under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home of Lake Charles. Visitation will be in the funeral home chapel, 4321 Lake Street, on Friday evening from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM, with a rosary recited at 6:00 PM. Visitation will resume on Saturday morning from 10:00 AM until leaving in procession to the church.

The family would like to express special thanks to the staff and caregivers at Villa Maria retirement center. Villa was her home for the past three years, and the love and care of the team there were an incredible blessing to her. They would also like to thank the many wonderful residents who were so very kind to her over the years. The family extends particular appreciation and gratitude to Brighten Bridge Hospice for the compassion, dedication, and excellent care given to Pie.