Sept. 12, 1951 – Sept. 3, 2016

NATCHEZ — Services for Charles Stephen Plauché, 64, of Natchez, who died Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, at Merit Health Natchez, will be 11 a.m. today at St. Mary Basilica with the Rev. David O’Connor officiating.

Arrangements are under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Steve grew up in Lake Charles, La., where his love of horses began. He had a newspaper route as a boy to be able to feed and care for his first horse. Steve went on to raise and show American Quarter Horses, and was a member of the state and national Quarter Horse associations and Reining Horse associations.

He graduated from Lake Charles High and Louisiana State University and was a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.

Steve worked as sales manager for Davidson Louisiana, was an entrepreneur and owned and operated B&B Building Materials in Vidalia.

His ultimate career move was as a certified financial planner for Bergeron & Plauché LLC in Natchez. Steve’s philosophy in estate planning and assisting clients in long-term health care was to treat every client with the same dignity, respect and service as he would his family and friends.

Steve was a member of the Santa Claus Committee and served as Santa Claus 2006. He cherished his family and friends, embraced life and lived it largely and fully. Steve freely shared laughs, stories, tears, kind words and warm embraces.

Mr. Plauché was preceded in death by his parents, Locke A. and Dorothy Plauché, and one brother, Locke A. “Tony” Plauché Jr.

Survivors include his wife, Eliza Sharp Plauché; one daughter, Emily Plauché Maxwell and husband, Chris, all of Natchez; three sons, Charles Stephen Plauché Jr. of Austin, Texas, Michael Brian Plauché and wife, Megan, of New Orleans and William Montgomery Simonton; two sisters, Anne Plauché Marks and husband, Paul, all of Baton Rouge, and Marie Plauché-Gustin of Houston; two brothers, John Treanor Plauché and James Winfield “Jimmy” Plauché and wife, Joan, all of Baton Rouge; and three granddaughters to whom he was a loving, devoted Papa, Parker Claire Maxwell, Anne Bailey Maxwell and Iva McDonald Plauché.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jonathan Barlow, Guy Brenner, Steve Cavin, Randy Cooley, Ed Deicke, Treanor Marks, Harley McElroy, Mike Miller, Ross Plauché and Tommy Spinosa.

Special thanks to Drs. Kenneth Stubbs, Brooks Emory and Brad LeMay for their care of Steve.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Reining Horse Foundation (rhsf.com) or to Natchez Children’s Services (ntzchs.org).

Online condolences may be sent at lairdfh.com.