Clifford "Cliff" Broussard - Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns Athletic Network

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Clifford "Cliff" Broussard

The information about Clifford "Cliff" Broussard was provided by Brenda Wimberly King. She wrote the first section and copied the second section from his obituary in the Daily Advertiser.

I would like to submit the name of Cliff Broussard as a special fan. He was a "provider" and could be seen at men and women's sporting events. I have seen him at women's and men's basketball games, football games, volleyball games and at softball games. He believed in supporting his university athletic teams in any way that he could.

If a coach asked for something from Cliff, he would fight a buzz saw to get it accomplished. He was only one of three fans who had season tickets to all of the athletic venues in 2005 as was written about in the Spring 2005 issue of LaLouisiane http://WWW.Louisiana.edu/Advancement/PRNS/lala/2005-SPRG/fans.pdf.

When the baseball and softball had conflicting games on the same day, he could be seen walking between the parks between games or between innings. He wore pepper pants to the athletic events and although he owned the matching pepper shirt, he rarely wore them as a matching set. At the athletic events, he always wore red and white. I can attest that he attended many of the softball 'away' games. The last softball game he attended was in May 2007 in Monroe. A few days after this series, he was admitted to LGMC and diagnosed with brain cancer. He lived a few weeks longer than the prognoses, but succumbed to this cancer on August 4, 2007.

One of his fan success stories was that he was instrumental in the purchase of the first chair back seats in the Tigue. He was a member of the Dirty Dozen and a half. He was the organizer of all things manual that fans could do at the softball field. He hauled bricks. He got others to haul bricks. He had the first flower beds put in and was the "go to" person between the donors and the diggers for the plants for the flower beds.

Cliff was a retired teacher. He loved kids and he loved his teams.

Sincerely,

Brenda Wimberly King, Class of '63 and '76

Member, FAN (Friend of Athletic Network) Network

Clifford "Cliff" Broussard

Part of Cliff's obituary was copied from the August 6, 2007 edition of the Daily Advertiser and is included below.

"A retired school teacher and longtime resident of Lafayette, Cliff Broussard was born in Duson, Louisiana. He attended Duson Elementary School and Judice High School, graduating from the latter in 1957.

Following graduation from high school, Cliff served in the United States Navy for three years, returning to study Elementary Education at USL, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964; he subsequently earned a Master's degree in Educational Administration at LSU. Cliff served as an elementary school teacher at LeRosen Elementary in Lafayette and Duson Elementary in Duson until retirement.

Following his retirement from teaching, he worked as a Health Services Technician for Mobile Health Test Services.

Throughout his life, Cliff was an enthusiastic supporter of UL's athletic programs. A familiar presence at every home game, he was not only an avid fan with season tickets to all home games for the softball, baseball, football, basketball, and field-and-track teams, but frequently followed his beloved teams to their games away, however far from home. He had an encyclopedic store of knowledge of individual UL players' records as well as of their team records, spanning decades.

Characteristically, Cliff was among a dedicated group of tireless UL fans who donated their time and labor to the beautification of the University's athletic playing field, painting structures and planting flower-beds.

An avid gardener and flower enthusiast, he cultivated a varied garden year round and grew beautiful orchids. Having developed a deep interest in the culture and crafts of Native Americans of the Southwest, he painted many of the gourds harvested from his garden with Native American-inspired motifs and designs of his own invention. He also constructed a loom and taught himself to weave rugs in the manner of the Navahos, creating designs based on traditional patterns. During his many years as a Scoutmaster in the Evangeline Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, he became a skilled woodcarver, carving boxes which he presented to friends and family as gifts.

As gregarious as he was creative, Cliff numbered among his numerous friends from near and far, not only sports fans, but also fellow teachers, former students and their children, gardeners, orchid fanciers, cattlemen, musicians, and lovers of nature. He made new friends wherever he went and never forgot his old ones, including childhood friends and old classmates.

As a teacher, 4-H Club leader, Scoutmaster, sports fan, and loyal friend, he was as tireless in the service of others as he was boon companion with a heart of gold. He spread joy and laughter in every setting in which he found himself. His family, friends, and his neighbors will greatly miss Cliff Broussard."

Daily Advertiser, August 6, 2007