Douglas Raymond Talbot entered peacefully into eternal rest on Sunday, December 7, 2014. He was 77 years of age. Mr. Talbot was born on July 14, 1937 in Bay St. Louis, MS and resided the majority of his life in River Ridge, LA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Lionel and Anastasia Cahill Talbot. He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Judith Berkman Talbot , his two sons and their wives, Mark Douglas (Elizabeth Barkerding) and Michael Kirk (Julie Strong) Talbot. He is also survived by his 4 loving grandchildren, Anastasia Elizabeth, Michael Sim, Elizabeth Baldwin and Patrick Cahill Talbot, who all cherished their beloved "Poppy."
A graduate of St. Stanislaus school in Bay St. Louis, MS, he attended LSU, and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in marketing. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. He also served in the United States Army Reserves (on active duty 1960-1961).
Mr. Talbot was a businessman who was active in many fields. Perhaps the best known one being Lucky Dogs, the iconic hot dogs of the French Quarter. In 1996, he was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" for his work in making Lucky Dogs one of the outstanding businesses in New Orleans.
Mr. Talbot was the epitome of a Lucky Dog. Six times he was diagnosed with cancer, and he turned what most consider a horrific finding into a positive experience. Each time it reminded him of life's brevity and the importance of giving. Shortly after his diagnosis of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph system) his insurance premiums skyrocketed. Although he was fortunate enough to manage the greatly inflated rates, he soon learned of others who were not so fortunate. Angry about this injustice, he formed an organization called "Coalition for Realistic Insurance". This group lobbied for legislation to protect Louisianans from being victimized by insurance companies. The Coalition stormed the Capitol and the appropriate legislation was passed. For the next six years, Mr. Talbot served as vice-chairman and chairman of the Louisiana High Risk Pool for Uninsurables to see the project off to a solid start. Due to his proactive stance, he was awarded the 1993 Louisiana Consumer League Award for Consumer Health Care needs.
In 1994, he received the Young Leadership Council's Role Model Award. In 1995, he received the St. Elizabeth Guild Volunteer Activist Award; and in 1996, he was voted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. He was also the recipient of an award from The LSU Foundation LSU Health Sciences Center for his dedicated work as a member of the Board of Directors of East Jefferson General Hospital. Mr. Talbot also received the Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center Award for his leadership, dedication and service.
In addition to his community service time Mr. Talbot found his greatest satisfaction in meeting with newly diagnosed cancer patients and giving them practical information as well as encouragement and hope.
In the late 1990s Mr. Talbot once stated, "My experiences in life were greatly affected by having had cancer. As a three- time survivor of cancer I think I've learned a lot about life and living. LIVING to me now means GIVING. And, what I am coming to understand these days is that giving and receiving are virtually the same. There are so many people in this world, who by no fault of their own are in great need. When I die, and I hope that will be a long time in coming, I hope that people will say of me, 'He really made a difference.'
In 1984, a hunting buddy of his invited him to go deer hunting in Camden, AL. He immediately fell in love with the town and it's people. By next deer season he had leased land and the family has hunted in Wilcox county ever since. In 1997 he bought the Beck-Bryant Home in Canton Bend. His son Kirk and daughter in law Julie were married there in 1999. Affectionately known as his hunting "camp", Mr. Talbot introduced countless politicians, friends, and hunters to the charm and hospitality of Wilcox county. He truly cherished the friendships he made in Camden.
Always a man with a smile on his face and a helping hand extended, he will be remembered most importantly as a loving husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather. He will be missed by all who knew him for his love and efforts to make our city and state a better place in which to live. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the burial service at 10:00AM at the family home on 2482 Hwy 28 West in Canton Bend on Friday, January 9, 2015. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations in his memory to Cancer Crusaders 1117 Homestead Avenue, Metairie LA 70005.