Benjamin James Bijole Jr.

Retired United States Army First Sergeant (Top) Benjamin James Bijole, Jr., 92 of Kenner, Louisiana, reported to his final duty station with his heavenly Father on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. We bid farewell to a truly gentle, honorable, and beloved brother, father, uncle, grandfather, relative and friend who is known for his trademark welcoming, beautiful, and infectious smile. Benjamin, a.k.a. Ben or Jr. or B-Joe, died peacefully at home with his daughter Angela Bijole in Frisco, Texas. He touched the lives of so many and will sorely be missed. Ben was a U.S. Army Veteran of 23 years, and a high school JROTC instructor of 19 years.

Ben was born on November 21, 1932, at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was the only son of Elvena Marguerite Mohr Bijole and Benjamin James Bijole, Sr. Ben grew up and had a close bond with his three sisters, Naomi Gloria, Doris Theresa, and Elvena Marguerite, and his half-brother Benjamin Bujol and half-sister Mary Bujol. Ben attended 1st through 12th grades at Kenner Colored Training School. After graduating high school, Ben attended Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Ben was drafted into the Army together with his neighbor and childhood buddy Grant Dennison, with whom he finished Basic Training at Fort Chafee in Arkansas after which they received their first assignments at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Ben’s active-duty career began May 19, 1953, and he served honorably for 23 years, retiring at the rank of First Sergeant. During his military service he was stationed in Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Germany, and Fort Bliss, where he retired in 1976. He served in the Korean War and Vietnam Conflict. In recognition of his service to his country during the Vietnam Conflict, Ben was awarded the National Defense Service Medal. First Sergeant Bijole devoted more than 40 years in uniform as a soldier and educator of future soldiers selflessly dedicating his life to the service of his country and the institution he loved so dearly.

Ben took great pride in his employment as a school bus driver for the El Paso Independent School District in El Paso, Texas from 1977 until he was offered a job opportunity as a JROTC instructor in Mobile, Alabama. Ben moved his family to Mobile in 1980 where he began his post retirement career as a JROTC instructor at Murphy High School and Mattie T. Blount High School until he ultimately retired in 1999.

Ben met his first love Lorraine Shoemaker in Baton Rouge, Louisiana while she was attending Southern University and A&M College, and they married on August 22, 1955. Ben and Lorraine began their lives together in Kenner where their first child Angela was born. As Ben’s military career moved him around, Lorraine and Angela continued to live in Kenner until they joined Ben in El Paso, Texas, where sons Benjamin III and Eric were born. Ben then received orders that moved his young family to the Panama Canal Zone where youngest daughter Gloria was born. Following the assignment in Panama, the Bijole family returned to Fort Bliss where Ben and Lorraine continued to raise their young family until Lorraine’s untimely passing on April 22, 1974.

Ben, a single father of four children, shifted his focus to being home to raise his family, making the decision to retire from the United States Army on June 30, 1976. Ben was blessed with meeting the second love of his life in 1976 when he was introduced to Myrtle Johnson Reaves by mutual friends. Myrtle and “Boopsie,” as she endearingly called Ben, dated until they married on June 10, 1977, blending their two families together with his children and Myrtle’s three daughters, Evelyn, Arnetta, and Sharon, and they were happily married for 43 years until her passing on November 13, 2020.

Ben often expressed how blessed he was to experience two loves of his life: Lorraine and Myrtle. Family was incredibly important to him, and no matter the time or distance, Ben truly had a way of making everyone feel special and loved. Ben made his final trip home to Kenner in December 2024 to celebrate the life of late niece Beverly Lola Bujol. Ben loved entertaining friends and family hosting seafood boils, outdoor barbecues, and making homemade ice cream and snow cones from block ice for the kids. Prior to relocating to Texas with his daughter Angela in June 2024, Ben was reminiscing about the good old days. So, he planned one last gathering for family, friends, and neighbors in his traditional style of barbecues and seafood boil. All had a great time making new memories over a full day of delicious food, good company and good conversation. Ben topped off the gathering by toasting friends and family with an icecold beer.

Ben was a man of deep of faith and a devout Catholic regularly attending mass as a parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mobile, where he served as an usher. Ben was preceded in death by his father Benjamin James Bijole, Sr., first wife Lorraine Shoemaker Bijole, sister Naomi Gloria Bijole, sister Mary Bujol Lewis, sister Doris Theresa Bijole Jones, mother Elvena Marguerite Mohr Bijole, brother-in-law Ret. Ltc. Lee A. Lewis Sr., brother-in-law Henderson L. Jones, sister-in-law Hilda Smith Bujol, brother Benjamin William Bujol, second wife Myrtle Bijole, and grandson DeAngelo James Bijole-Himes.

Ben will always be remembered and dearly loved by his children, Evelyn Christy (Sam) of Ocala, Florida, Angela Bijole of Frisco, Texas, Arnetta Poole (Jacob III) of San Diego, California, Benjamin Bijole, III (Monica) of Culpeper, Virginia, Eric Bijole (Karen) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sharon Moffatt (Claud Jr.) of Mobile, Alabama, and Gloria Bijole of Los Angeles, California, grandchildren Marquis Bijole-Himes, Erica Bijole Pagan, Phyllis Bijole, Tiffani Bijole, Kevin Williams, Troi Antee, Elizabeth Leake Bijole, Alita Leake Bijole, Marcus Poole, Kenyetta Wynn (Donald), Jacob Poole IV (Vanezza), Natasha McCants (Johnny), Claud Moffatt, III (Jasmine) and Isis Christdy, twenty great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild, his only remaining sibling, sister Elvena Margueriete Bijole Lewis of Hampton, Virginia, brother-in-law Charlie “Slick” Johnson (Laverne) of Chicago, Illinois, a very special cousin Geraldine Landry Brown of Los Angeles, California, a bonus son Larry King of Mobile, Alabama, neighbors for over 40 years the Brown Family of Mobile, Alabama, and a host of adoring nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.

Arrangements are forthcoming, which will include a Catholic Funeral Mass and Celebration of Life in Mobile, Alabama and interment at the Alabama State Veterans Cemetery at Spanish Fort.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Mary’s Catholic Church or your favorite charitable organization in the memory of Benjamin James Bijole, Jr.