Gordon “Butch” Bakewell Golsan, III

Gordon “Butch” Bakewell Golsan, III passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his adoring family. A fitting farewell for a man who spent his life loving deeply, laughing loudly, and bringing people together.

Butch was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on October 16, 1950, and raised in Mansfield, alongside his beloved parents and sisters. He later made his home in Baton Rouge, where he attended Louisiana State University and earned a degree in General Studies and more importantly, where he began a lifelong love affair with LSU athletics.

Butch bled purple and gold through and through. A founding member of the Hell Mary’s Tailgaters, a proud member of the Tiger Athletic Foundation, and the LSU Alumni Association, he never missed an opportunity to cheer on the Tigers. To know Butch was to know his unwavering loyalty to LSU Football.

Professionally, Butch enjoyed a long and successful career in life and health insurance, owning and operating GB Golsan Insurance for 34 years. He was known not only for his integrity and dedication, but for the genuine care he showed his clients, many of whom became lifelong friends and, in many ways, family.

Music was another great love in his life. A talented drummer, Butch played for many years in bands including The Noise, Human Rayz, Vibrators, Tout Les Soir, and Nouveaux Cajun Xpress. His bandmates were more than fellow musicians; they were his second family, bonded by good vibes and rhythm.

Butch found his greatest joy in the simple pleasures; being on the water, LSU tailgates, good music, and gathering with the people he loved most. Above all, he was a devoted family man. His love for his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren was beyond measure.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 43 years, Charmaine Golsan; his children, Gina Benedict (Jamie), Laurie Murray Soler (Steven), and Shane Gauthier (Tara); his grandchildren, Cameron Benedict (Anna), Brooke Huval (Jevin), Brandon Murray-Maguire (Matthew), Courtland Benedict (Carla), Clay Benedict (Risa), Charles “Taz” McDonald, Mackenzie Lemoine, Riley Harwell, Ainsley Gauthier, and Lucas Gauthier; and his great-grandchildren, Ansley Benedict, Boone Benedict, Keller Huval, Fletcher Benedict, Ellis Huval, Jack Benedict, and Stetson Benedict. He is also survived by his sisters, Gay Barron (Roy) and Anne Laville, along with a host of nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Gordon Bakewell Golsan Jr. and Shirley Ann Ricks Golsan; his son, Charles Edwin McDonald; his in-laws, Ina Del Johnson Bush and Joseph Julius Bush Jr.; and his godson, Slade Scallan.

Pallbearers will be Cameron Benedict, Brandon Murray-Maguire, Courtland Benedict, Clay Benedict, Charles McDonald III, Jevin Huval, Blaine Bush, and Lucas Gauthier.

Honorary pallbearers include Roy Lee Barron, Jamie Benedict, Steven Soler, Butch Landry, Jessie Deroche, Holden Scallan, and Tim Parrish.

Butch’s legacy lives on in the music he played, the laughter he shared, the family he cherished, and the countless lives he touched. He will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Service at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 16, 2025, at Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge. A Visitation will be held at the funeral home beginning at 9:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory.

For those so desiring and in lieu of flowers, memorials in honor of Gordon “Butch” Bakewell Golsan, III may be made The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank (https://brfoodbank.org/give-money/memorial-tribute/), Smile Train: Cleft Lip and Palate Charity (https://www.smiletrain.org/?form=FUNSUKKCGLJ) or the Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area (https://alzbr.org/donate/).

Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the family at www.resthavenbatonrouge.com