==Death and family==
De Pingre' died in [[Shreveport]] of a lengthy illness. Services were held on September 21, 2007, at the First Baptist Church, with the then pastor [[Wayne DuBose]] officiating. Interment was at Gardens of Memory Cemetery in Minden. Survivors included his wife, the former Patricia Lee "Pat" Catron (1927-2021), a former home demonstration agent who left that position to work with her husband in the printing business.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press-herald.com/patricia-lee-catron-de-pingre/|title=Patricia Lee de Pingre'|publisher=''[[Minden Press-Herald]]''|date=October 7, 2021}}</ref> He had a son, Benny Louis de Pingre' (1954-2023) and his then wife Jerri of <ref>{{cite web|url=https://press-herald.com/benny-louis-de-pingre/|title=Benny Louis de Pingre' obituary|publisher=''The MindenPress-Herald''|date=March 17, 2023}}</ref> and one a daughter, Margaret Ann Willis of Irving in Dallas County, Texas, the widow of James Willis.<ref name=obit/>
Daughter-in-law Jerri Lynn Ray de Pingre' (born 1959) was the 1977 "Miss Minden" pageant winner. An educator-turned-businesswoman, she ran unsuccessfully in 2011 as a [[Republican Party|Republican]] candidate for the Webster Parish District 10 seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, having lost, 55 to 45 percent, to the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Gene Reynolds]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Jerri_Ray_de_Pingre|title=Jerri de Pingre'|publisher=Ballotpedia.org|accessdate=April 11, 2020}}</ref> who no longer holds the seat now filled by [[Moderate Republican]] [[Royce Wayne McMahen]] of Springhill. Thereafter, she served as executive director of the South Webster Chamber of Commerce, in which capacity, she started the Leadership Minden program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press-herald.com/leadership-webster-graduates-16/|title=Leadership Webster graduates 16
|publishe sher=''Minden Press-Herald''|date=May 12, 2016|accessdate=April 11, 2020}}</ref> She resigned from the chamber in the summer of 2016 to purse another business opportunity, which did not disclose.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press-herald.com/de-pingre-stepping-down-as-minden-south-webster-chamber-president/|title=De Pingre' stepping down as Minden-South Webster Chamber President|publisher=''The Minden Press-Herald''|date=July 28, 2016|accessdate=April 11, 2020}}</ref> Benny and Jeri de Pingre' have since divorced.
Major de Pingre' had four grandchildren, one of whom, John Major de Pingre' (1988-2019) was diagnosed shortly after birth with cystic fibrosis but overcame the odds to graduate in 2014 from LSU.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press-herald.com/john-major-de-pingre/|title=John Major de Pingre'|publisher=''The Minden Press-Herald''|date=August 14, 2019|accessdate=April 10, 2020}}</ref>
In addition to his parents, de Pingre' was preceded in death by a sister, Margie Helen de Pingre'. His two brothers were Clarence Edward de Pingre’ (1921-2012) and wife Alma of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]],<ref name=obit/> and William Earnest "Bill" de Pingre' (1931-2017) and his wife, Charlsie, of Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?pid=186988043|title= William de Pingre'|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=October 19, 2017|accessdate=April 11, 2020}}</ref>
Patricia de Pingre' was a sister-in-law of the Southern Baptist evangelist, [[Bill Ichter]] of Minden. She relocated to Irving, Texas, to be near her daughter, Margaret Willis, She and died there in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/jerry-ichter/|title=Jerry Ichter|publisher=''The Minden Press-Herald''|date=September 21, 2018|accessdate=April 11, 2020}}</ref>
==References==