LRA Past Chair Don Weems dies

LRA makes contribution to new ULM Laird-Weems, which will honor Weems' service to school

LRA Past Chair Donald Weems passed away March 29, 2017. Weems fought a five-year battle with Multiple Myeloma. Anyone who knew him witnessed the courageous and hard-fought battle he waged against that vicious disease.

Weems started his career at NLU (ULM), where he earned his BBA and MBA, and served in various roles from 1976 until his retirement in 1999. Upon his retirement from ULM, Weems became an entrepreneur in the restaurant business as co-owner of WaterFront Grill on the bayou. After opening the restaurant, he soon became active in the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA), serving as Vice Chair and Secretary before becoming Chair of the organization in 2007. He also served as Chair of the LRA Education Foundation, and was awarded the Presidential Leadership Award. His highest honor as an entrepreneur was receiving the prestigious Louisiana Restaurateur of the Year Award in 2002. 

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, 2017, at North Monroe Baptist Church, with visitation from 1-3 p.m. prior to the service. 

ULM announced this fall that they will build a new Alumni Center in the coming year and will honor Weems, along with his former boss and mentor Billy Laird, for their untiring devotion and hard work by naming the center after the two of them. Memorials may be made in support of the forthcoming Laird-Weems Center at ULM online at www.ulm.edu/weems or mailed to: ULM Foundation and Alumni Relations, re: Laird-Weems Center, 700 University Ave., Monroe, LA 71209.