Gail Blanchard Hemard

Gail Blanchard Hemard, loving mother, sister, and GiGi, of Auburn, AL passed away quietly on June 8, 2023.

She was born March 9, 1942, in New Orleans, LA. She enjoyed racing sailboats on Lake Pontchartrain in her young adult years.  She met her husband Charlie while working at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. They moved to Hattiesburg, MS in 1976 where together they raised their two children and enjoyed 43 years of marriage.  She worked over 30 years as an assistant to the Dean of Education and Psychology at University of Southern Mississippi.  She was much loved in her work community and made several lifelong friends.  While working she earned her bachelor’s degree in office management.  She and Charlie retired to Lumberton, MS where she learned the rural life and loved driving her tractor and growing blueberries.

She was a devout Catholic and was active in the church most recently at St. Francis Xavier in Wiggins, MS and later at St. Michael the Archangel in Auburn, AL.  She also found peace in her yardwork and tending her numerous potted plants.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Joseph Hemard; her parents R.E. Blanchard, Jr. and Mabel Ayo Blanchard; and her twin sister, Patricia Dugal.

She is survived by her sister, Bette LaBarre (Steve) of Diamondhead, MS; daughter, Jennifer Wallis (Todd) of Bay St. Louis, MS; son, Charles “Chuck” Hemard (Jessica) of Auburn, AL; and her three grandchildren, Brady Wallis, Aaron Wallis, and Corinne “Cora” Hemard; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

There will be two services, including a memorial mass held at St. Michael’s in Auburn on Friday, June 16 at 10:00 am and a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am, Thursday, June 22, 2023, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Wiggins, MS on with a visitation beginning at 10:00 am and burial at Crossroads Church Cemetery just north of Wiggins, MS following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to St. Michael the Archangel in Auburn, AL.

The Riemann Family Funeral Home, 141 Hwy 90, Bay/Waveland is serving the family and online condolences may be offered at www.riemannfamily.com