Empty Chair

A coffee club in Lake Arthur is mourning the loss of one of their most beloved members and “President” Curley Cormier, 87, of Lake Arthur.

The club meets daily at the Tiger Mart in Lake Arthur to kickstart their day with a little caffeine and good company.

For the last 15 years around 4:30 a.m. each morning, Tiger Mart employee April Lemaire said you could find Cormier at the store, visiting with the staff and taking it upon himself to prepare the coffee for the day’s gathering.

“We called him Curley Q,” Lemaire said. “He was the sweetest man, and I will always remember his jokes and sense of humor,” she said. “It really brightened our day.”

Tiger Mart employee Monique McGee said she made a memorial to honor Cormier at the club’s table, where Cormier had his own designated chair.

“We had a black ribbon made at the flower shop that reads ‘forever in our hearts,” she said. “He will truly be missed.”

Some members of the club include his son, Carl Cormier, Burton David, Freddie Roy, Teenie Benoit, Tony Trahan, Brent Lejeune, Mahlon LeBlanc, Dennis Hymel, and Craig Bordelon.

“He was one of a kind and I sure hope he knew how much he is loved by so many people in our community.”
– April Lemaire

Lemaire said he also would bring in old flyers and history pictures from the 1900s and share them with the group and the staff.

Cormier was more like family than an customer to the morning crew at Tiger Mart including staff members Gaylynn Dupre, Chyla Whitman, Sara Lopez, Jenny Strahan, Christine Prejean, Dana Monceaux, Lemaire said.

“We always made sure Curley had his biscuit in the morning and always called to check on him if he didn’t show up by a certain time,” she said. “When he wasn’t here we got worried, so we called his son and found out he had passed away that morning.”

Lemaire said mornings will never be the same without their most beloved customer and friend.

“Today was a sad day at Tiger Mart, but we will always cherish the memories of our Curley Q,” she said. “He was one of a kind and I sure hope he knew how much he is loved by so many people in our community.”