Patricia "Pat" Puderer Decell Irwin

Patricia “Pat” Puderer Decell Irwin passed away peacefully at her home on Monday, June 23, 2025, at the age of 91. Pat was born on August 4, 1933, in Natchez, Mississippi to Patrick Puderer and Alyce Barland Puderer. It was in Natchez that she met and married Ralph Clark (“Mickey”) Decell in 1953. They welcomed their first 5 children in Natchez before relocating to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1960, where they had 4 more children. After Mickey’s premature death in 1984, Pat married George Irwin in 1992. The Decell family was blessed to have had George in the family for 24 years before his passing in 2016 and will forever cherish having had two amazing father figures in their lives.

Pat did not passively watch life go by. She fully embraced time with family, traveling, watching pretty much all sports, particularly professional tennis and golf, and attending live theater and symphony performances. We’re not sure how she found the time to learn to cook while raising 9 kids but thank God she did. She blessed her family, friends, and the St. George Church community with her amazing food, most notably her famous seafood gumbo. At one point in her life, she prepared and froze her gumbo and other delicious entrees, and sold them from her home, along with her gifted calligraphy work, through her business called, “Pat Decell’s Pots and Pens”.

Pat was a longtime active member of Al-Anon, where she learned to lovingly detach from the potentially crippling grasp this disease can have on family members. Many years after several of her family members became sober, she continued to practice the principles of Al-Anon in all areas of her life. This brought her much peace and serenity to deal with the many other trials she would face, including the deaths of two husbands and two sons. By practicing her strong faith in God and the principles of Al-Anon, Pat was a wonderful example to so many of how to live life with Love, Grace and Acceptance.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents; both of her loving husbands; her sons, Ralph C. Decell, Jr. and Drew Decell; a daughter-in-law, Karen Cline Decell; a grandson, Blake Foreman; a great-grandson, Clark David Decell; and her sister, Mary Estelle (“Stella”) Sanguinetti of Natchez. Pat is survived by seven children; Don (Kay) Decell, Anne Decell, Steve (Becky) Decell, Keith (Lauri) Decell, Kay (David) Foreman, Louis Decell, and Mary (Richard) Joseph; three daughters-in-law, Darlene White Decell, Sherry Furnish Decell and Kay Roach Decell; and three stepchildren, Cindy (Terry) Boudreaux, Timothy (Maria) Irwin and Allison (David Keith) Smith. She is survived by sixteen grandchildren, Jennifer (Brandon) Istre, Ryan (Melissa) Decell, Heather Decell, Amy Decell, Courtney (Roger) Clement, Lacey (Shaun) Bruce, Matthew (Kristen) Decell, Hunter (Amanda) Decell, Chelsea (Scott) Nichols, Brandon (Amy Lynn) Foreman, Elizabeth (Collin) Webster, Will Foreman, Max Decell, Mickey Decell, Caroline (Jayme) Taylor, and Rachel Joseph; and eight step-grandchildren, Andre (Megan) Boudreaux, Renee (Robert) Arroyo, Amelia (Kevin) Goding, Gabriella (Jacob) Pugh, Antonina (Kyle) Wilson, Giulia Irwin, David (Lauren) Smith and Christopher Smith. She is also survived by twenty-three great-grandchildren, eleven step great-grandchildren, and one great-great granddaughter. Pallbearers will be her grandsons.

A visitation will be held Saturday, June 28, 2025, at St. George Catholic Church, 7808 St. George Dr., Baton Rouge, from 9:00 am until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am. The Rev. Paul Yi and the Rev. Jon Koehler will officiate. Entombment will be in the St. George Catholic Church Mausoleum. A reception will follow in the Kleinpeter Activity Center next door to the sanctuary. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Joseph Hospice, St. George Catholic Church, or a charity of your choice.

The Decell family wishes to extend their most sincere thanks to Terri “Dimple” Owens, Lynette Sharper and Julie Jenkins for their loving care provided to Pat over the past year, or so. We also would like to thank St. Joseph’s Hospice for the wonderful services provided to her and the entire family.