09/14/2025
In Loving Memory....
Gerald Joseph Crochet, Jr.
October 18, 1963 - September 14, 2025
Gerald Joseph Crochet, Jr. of Little Rock, Arkansas, born October 18, 1963, died on September 14, 2025 peacefully in his home on the Feast of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
We will always remember the larger than life character that electrifies a room with his energy and smile; the man whose number one focus after his devotion to God and his faith was his family; the man who tried to elevate the Taco Bell drive through worker and the homeless on the corner; the man who loved to barefoot waterski; the man who farmed quail; and the lawyer who was at the top of his game. Highly intelligent, highly affectionate, the man respected by so many people, he was the kind of man that once you met him, you never forgot him.
Gerald was born in Houma, Louisiana, and his family moved to Lafayette when he was 2. As a young boy, he was athletic and made friends easily. He was fun-loving, adventurous, and capable. His competitiveness with his siblings in no way diminished his fierce loyalty to his family. His loving older sisters nicknamed him “Opy” after the person they considered to be the cutest little boy on TV. Of all his four siblings, he had a special bond with his little brother, Delmar. They spent many days hunting together, playing on the river, in the bayou, and getting into trouble. Though they had their fights, Gerald was protective and very generous towards his brother.
Gerald’s deep spiritual instinct showed itself at an early age. One day, a six-year-old Gerald was playing with his siblings. An accident caused a frightening gash on Delmar’s head. One sister ran to get help, another stayed by Delmar’s side, a third went to find Gerald who had suddenly disappeared. She found him by the road, kneeling on a pile of sharp oyster shells, doing penance to save his brother.
Gerald’s thirst for knowledge grew as he did. He had an eye for natural beauty and studied anything that captivated him. He was well known among his friends for his animal sound-making skills. He could explain- and did- exactly why the red-tailed hawk was his favorite. The generosity of his father gave him the opportunity to develop his horsemanship. At the age of sixteen, he trained his own mount, an Arabian named Mosk. He spent many enjoyable hours in the saddle.
Gerald possessed a lively, fun-loving personality. He had a big smile and a disarming sense of humor. Gerald loved his Cajun culture and enjoyed cooking gumbo for his friends and family. He remained an avid outdoorsman all his life and this hobby was the source of a great many fond memories that his friends, family, and kids will cherish. He was a good gardener and taught his children the value of work by this means. It was evident to all who knew him that Gerald deeply cherished his wife, Linda. He esteemed himself lucky to have her, calling her the love of his life.
Gerald graduated cm laude, 2nd in his major with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette (USL) in 1987. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H Bowen School of Law in 1991, finishing in the top quintile of his class and achieving the highest score on the multi-state portion of the Arkansas Bar Exam. After nearly 2 years employment with the Rose Law Firm, Gerald entered into private practice and in 2013 was awarded the Martindale Hubbell BV rating for distinguished attorneys with highest ratings in integrity and legal skill. In 1993, Gerald procured his insurance agent license as well as his Series 6 and Series 63 securities licenses as an agent and registered representative with John Hancock Financial Services. In 2000, Gerald earned his Chartered Financial Consultant designation. In 2005, Gerald left John Hancock and began to provide Investment Advisory services through Acadian Wealth Management, LLC and insurance consulting services through Total Financial Security, LLC, companies he formed to complement his law practice in order to provide comprehensive wealth solutions to his clients, too numerous to count, and many becoming very dear friends, for the next 20 years. Gerald loved his job. He saw his practice not merely as a way of providing income, but primarily as a means of helping others. His ideal of service was evident to all who entered his office because they immediately beheld a large picture of Our Lord Jesus Christ washing the feet of Simon Peter.
Gerald was a devout Catholic and a great lover of the Mass. All of his devotion sprung from a lively sense of faith. He took all of God’s commands literally. Gerald was loyal to the devotion of reparation to the hearts of Jesus and Mary on the First Fridays and Saturdays of the month. He was perfectly obedient to the requests of our Lady at Fatima and never omitted his daily rosary. He responded generously to the call of our Lord, “Could you not watch one hour with me?” and made a Holy Hour before the Most Blessed Sacrament every Thursday. During the last 7 years of his life, he spent over 182 hours in adoration.
It was particularly in the later years of his life that Gerald became captivated by the love of God and dedicated his life to living in conformity with the Holy Will of God. Gerald began to experience regret and contrition for the irregularities and carelessness of his younger years. He heroically applied himself to doing penance for his past sins. He saw to it that the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus held the place of honor in his home. He faithfully prayed the Little Office of the Immaculate Conception about seven times a day, a devotion very dear to him.
Gerald was deeply convinced by the truth that this life is temporary and that the only thing that really mattered in life was to serve God and gain heaven. He saw this so clearly. It was a great sorrow to him when friends, family, or associates were slower to understand or disagreed with his views. It was as though he knew he had but a short time to teach them. Gerald was known to be overbearing at times and would often offend people by his direct method of counseling, especially the ones most dear to him. However, it can never be doubted that every attempt to instruct was motivated by nothing but the most generous and overflowing love that simply did not know how to give up.
Gerald’s true mettle, however, showed itself in all its authenticity when he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor and given a very short life expectancy. This event brought an abrupt end to his career but Gerald did not complain. For a long time, he had learned to place his treasure in heaven and not on this earth. With unflinching submission to God’s Will and unlimited trust in His Fatherly goodness, he accepted death with a simple and cheerful, “I’m dying. It is what it is!” He spent the next four months enjoying the company of his family and in prayer until his death at the age of 61.
Gerald’s legacy is his passionate heart. He had a heart that was more than willing to lay down his life if he knew that thereby he could save the soul of his neighbor. The lessons he has taught his friends and family by word and example will never be forgotten.
Gerald is survived by his wife, Linda, of 24 years and 5 children, Gerald III, Cannon, Sister Thérèse Marie, CMD (Colette), Jacques, and Dominic; sisters Anastasia Fournet, Kimberly Lafleur and her husband Ted, Connie Shook and her husband Tom, and brother Delmar Crochet and his wife Rickie.
He is preceded in death by his father, Gerald Joseph Crochet, Sr. of Houma, LA, and his mother, Marguerite Roy Crochet, of Mansura, LA.
Visitation will be held at Christ the King Catholic Church, Little Rock, AR, on Monday, September 15th, 2025, from 5 – 7 PM with recitation of the Holy Rosary at 6 PM. His Requiem Mass will be held at Sacred Heart of Jesus Traditional Catholic Church in Mountain View, AR on Tuesday, September 16th, 2025, at 11 AM. Burial will immediately follow at Chalybeate Springs Cemetery, 373 Ben Cartwright Lane, Mountain View, AR.
Memorial gifts can be made to support the Crochet Family to either the Crochet Children’s Education Fund https://everloved.com/life-of/gerald-crochet/donate/ or to the CMD Sisters, 7745 Military Ave, Omaha NE, 68134. Flowers may be sent to Christ the King Catholic Church or to Mountain View Funeral Service.
In your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of Gerald Joseph Crochet, Jr., and for his family. Please pray that God may forgive him for his faults and admit him into the light of His Countenance.
Pallbearers are Gerald J Crochet, III, son; Cannon Crochet, son; Jacques Crochet, son; Dominic Crochet, son; Delmar Crochet, brother; Ted LaFleur, brother-in-law; Tom Shook, brother-in-law.
https://www.mountainviewfuneral.com/memorials/gerald-crochet/5637396/index.php
In lieu of flowers, help us carry on Gerald's legacy by giving to The Crochet Children's Education Savings Fund.
