Obituary of John Edmond Caplis

John Edmond Caplis, Jr. (Jack) died August 8, 2016 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was born March 27, 1942, in Shreveport and lived his entire life in Elm Grove, Louisiana. Jack attended St. Vincent's and St. John's. He graduated in 1961. He attended LSU and graduated from NSU with a degree in animal husbandry. Jack was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1976 he married Mary Madge Evans. To this union four children were born: Madge Keller Caplis, Jennie Evans Caplis, John (Jackson) Edmond Caplis III, and William Stuart Caplis. Jack and his brother Paul operated a dairy farm on Magenta Plantation. When milk taxes were implemented, the dairy was sold and farming became the primary use of the land. In 1988 Jack became a deputy sheriff for Bossier Parish. He retired in 2007. In his retirement years Jack became a gentleman farmer, cultivating ten acres of sunflowers to share with friends and family. This brought with it the annual September dove hunt. Jack was a member of Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church, the NRA, the Plantation Club, the Cotillion Club, the Duchess Club, the ROJ, the Shreveport Club and the 100 year old home club. Jack and Mary each had a retriever and ran them in UKC and AKC hunting trials. Many good new friends resulted in these hunts. He loved to ride motorcycles and went on an annual bike ride with daughter Madge until her death. Jack was predeceased by his parents, Jack Sr. and Bettie Keller Caplis; daughter Madge and son William Stuart; brother Chris Caplis Sr. and sister Lenore Caplis McGowen; paternal grandparents William Alexander Caplis and Hallie Mooty Caplis; maternal grandparents Paul Keller Sr. and Leonora Kirsch Keller and hunting buddy Uncle Paul Keller. He is survived by his wife, Mary, daughter Jennie and her husband Chad Chatagnier, son Jackson, and grandson William Anthony Chatagnier; by siblings Paul and wife Andree, Bettie Jane and husband John Boubelik, Mark and wife Shirley, sister-in-law Clem Caplis, and brother-in-law Robert McGowen and wife Cheryl, aunt Sherry Keller; and by first cousins Joe and Margie Caplis. He is also survived by his Loureauville, Texas, and Monroe Louisiana, cousins, nieces and nephews. Jack had many titles: son, husband, father, "gandad", brother, uncle, friend, deputy, and Mayor of Elm Grove (which he wasn't). He couldn't spell at all and called everyone "Dude." He will be missed. A rosary will be said at 10:30 prior to services at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 13 at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Bossier City followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. Interment of the ashes will follow at 2:00 p.m. at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Shreveport. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church or a charity of your choice.