Dorene Decell
Funeral services for Mrs. Addie Dorene “Rennie” Skipper Decell, age 90, of Ruston, will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, December 8, 2022, in Burkhalter Chapel at Trinity United Methodist Church in Ruston with Rev. Doug De Graffenried officiating. Burial will follow in the Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroe, under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston.
Dorene was born February 23, 1932, to Lula Scruggs McLain and Robert Eli Skipper in West Monroe, at her Aunt Lily’s house during a major flood, and she passed away December 3, 2022 in Ruston.
At the time of her birth, the water was so high that the doctor had to be brought in by a boat. Dorene was the youngest of nine children.
She was an alumna of Neville High School in Monroe and of Louisiana Tech University in Ruston where she received her business degree in 1986. Dorene became a member of Beta Sigma Phi in 1977, and this is where she made most of her closest friends and remained a member until 2020.
She and Garland moved to Ruston in 1969 to start their business “ Decell Tom’s Sales” and remained in business for thirty years until January of 2000.
In Ruston, Dorene and Garland became avid fans of Lady Techsters basketball and travelled all over the country to watch them play. They were able to travel to Europe a few times, and Dorene was able to see where Garland had fought during WWII.
She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church and of Gospel Sunday School. Dorene was preceded in death by her parents; all of her siblings, three who died as children before she was born; the love of her life and her husband Garland Decell; son John Robeaux; son-in-law Steward Lee Brown; and grandsonin- law Lane McGaha.
Dorene is survived by her daughters, Judy Robeaux and husband Steve Bowyer and Dottie Decell Brown; daughter- in- law, La-Donna Robeaux; sisters- in-law Jean Rugg and Margie Skipper; ten grandchildren; twenty great- grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, family and very close friends.
Serving as pallbearers will be Bill Brown, Jason Brown, Steve Bowyer, Willie Ray Williams, George Simmons and Stacie Robeaux. Honorary pallbearers are James Fuller, Kent Taylor and Dean Dick.
The family would like to thank Premier Hospice for their care and attention to their loved one during this time. They would also like to thank Dorene’s caregivers from Personal Home Care Services, especially Carolyn Mayes and JoEllen Dillon.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Methodist Children’s Home or to Trinity United Methodist Church.
Visitation will be held from noon until the time of service Thursday, December 8, 2022 at the church.
To leave an online memorial message for the family, please visit www. owensmemorialfuneralhome. com.
