Late one evening at the Upperline, our son-in-law's beloved grandfather Dr. Milton Green regaled us with stories of the Mayo brothers. Dr. William James Mayo had gone before him - both were gifted in surgery - at the University of Michigan Medical School. Based on his insight, one would think Dr. Will Mayo had met Dr. Libeau Berthelot. With that one line, he described him to a T.
Now, before anyone says I'm playing favorites, let me confess - I am. Fortunately, Franklinton has long been home to top doctors, but I haven't known many of them like I know Dr. Berthelot and his wife Pat. Dr. Berthelot has long been our family physician. And his wife Pat has been my most patient bridge partner for years now. Whether from the medical exam table or across the bridge table, Rodney and I have been blessed to get to know both of them. And in all candor, I can't think of another avenue, than either, that would facilitate knowing someone better.
Going back in time, my parents' close friendship with the Forets - Dr. Gerry and Ms. Gayle - took root during my youth. And it was the Forets who sagely reeled the Berthelots in, in 1980 - with the lure of a burgeoning medical practice and our hometown, which was within their 75-mile target radius of New Orleans (Ms. Pat's hometown). A real blessing for Franklinton.
Dr. Libeau Berthelot practiced medicine, first with Family Medical Clinic in Franklinton and more recently with the St. Tammany Physicians Network in Folsom, for over four decades. Building a practice with a plethora of patients, he is the physician we - my family and a host of others - turned to for our medical care. Patients could count on Dr. Berthelot. An Eagle Scout, he is service-minded, a requisite for any physician. Add to that tenacity and brilliance - Dr. Berthelot has both in spades. I think, more than anything, what my husband Rodney appreciated was his candor. With a prudent plan and valuable advice, Dr. Berthelot has always made his patients a priority. Affable and approachable, he made it easy to go to the doctor, something many - my better half among them - aren't inclined to do.
And Dr. Berthelot was there for more than routine visits. He was the man of the hour, in an emergency, many of which came in the middle of the night or in the middle of Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church. According to his wife Pat, the police came for him on the occasions when he couldn't be reached on their home phone. Remember, Dr. Berthelot began practicing medicine in an era devoid of pagers and cell phones. Dashing off to the hospital, he sometimes left his family stranded without wheels. They would strike out walking home, but inevitably a kind-hearted Good Samaritan would give them a ride. Meanwhile, Dr. Berthelot was sedulously saving local lives.
But time marches on. Even so, it hurts to swallow what you probably already know: The good doctor is retiring. When his wife - my friend Pat - told me what was coming, I pulled my car over to collect myself. As happy as I was for the Berthelots, who have been married 47 years, it's human nature to focus on ourselves. What will we do? A valid question, especially with Dr. Mark James, long-time partner at Family Medical and St. Tammany Physicians, also retiring.
Thankfully Dr. Christopher Foret, son of Dr. Gerry and Gayle Foret, remains active in the medical practice his father founded. Chris and I grew up, like siblings.
Back to Dr. Berthelot, it's difficult to bid him farewell, from family practice. The son of Pershing J. Berthelot, Sr., and wife Mary Rita Oubre Berthelot, he was born in Lutcher and raised in Gramercy.
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As a youth, he held down a myriad of productive occupations before graduating high school and matriculating at Nicholls State University (Harvard on the Bayou). Majoring in chemistry and zoology, he entered LSU Medical School in 1971, barely missing the draft. During his second year of medical school, Dr. Berthelot joined the Army Reserves, becoming a 2nd Lieutenant. And he more than excelled in medicine.
Romance reigned in 1974 when he met New Orleanian Patricia "Pat" Resor, who was a geophysical analyst for Shell Oil Company. It was coup de foudre - the couple married the following February. After a family practice residency, including a year as chief resident, at Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Dr. Berthelot was stationed for two years at the former De Witt Army Hospital at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where he was a clinical instructor in family medicine. Then, in 1979 the Berthelots chose to exit the military, a decision that set them on a trajectory for Franklinton.
And you know the rest of the story. The military's loss was our town's gain. This was the place the Berthelots belong. While they raised their lovely family here, Dr. Berthelot devoted his professional life to providing premier medical care for our residents for over forty years. Indefatigable, in his seventh decade, Dr. Berthelot exemplifies the meaning of excellence in medicine. And quite frankly, he is irreplaceable.
Headed into retirement, Dr. Berthelot will be greatly missed by his legion of patients. But his family, which has burgeoned, welcomes him with open arms - wife Pat, son Beau and wife Cathleen Berthelot who live in New Orleans with children Libeau Joseph IV, Madeleine, and Emma Claire; daughter Dr. Ashley and husband Matthew Jon Garver who live in Folsom with children Anna, Matthew Jon, Jr., "Jack" and Charlotte; and daughter Casey and husband John Charles Kincheloe who live in McLean, Virginia, with children John Charles, Jr., and Caroline.
If I had to guess, Dr. Berthelot will be quite busy in retirement, continuing his role as a dedicated grandparent with wife Pat - at the soccer field, football field, baseball diamond, and horse arena. And I would imagine Dr. Berthelot - a superbly talented cabinet maker - will continue constructing magnificent furniture, from African mahogany, ash, cherry, and oak, for his family. As for me, I'm hoping to still see him from time to time - from the bridge table.
