Rupert Reginald "Reggie" Vaughn

Rupert Reginald "Reggie" Vaughn - Submitted for the USGenWeb by Richard P. Sevier 4/14/2022

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Rupert Reginald "Reggie" Vaughn - Madison Parish, Louisiana
From Shreveport LA Times. April 13, 2022

Bossier City - Rupert Reginald "Reggie" Vaughn died suddenly from cardiac complications on April 8, 2022 in Bossier City, Louisiana. He was 81.

Born January 2, 1941 in Tallulah, Louisiana as the youngest of three sons, he grew up in West Monroe and lived in the Shreveport-Bossier area for much of his life. Reggie was the son of Elmer and Marie Vaughn and brother to Jim and Gardner. Reggie attended Mitchell Elementary School in West Monroe where he met his best friend Joe Ross in first grade. He graduated from West Monroe High School where he played drums in band and met lifelong friends as well as his future wife, Delores "Dee" Cawthon. He and his brothers were all accomplished musicians throughout their lives. Reggie attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. and Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, La. where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and played in the band. He furthered his education in music by earning a Master's of Arts in Music from Louisiana Tech University. He began a 35 year long career as a band director in Rayville, La. and moved to Shreveport shortly after to take the helm as band director at Youree Drive Junior High School. He led an award-winning show band at Youree Drive, one that traveled throughout the country performing for dignitaries and in front of large audiences. His Youree Drive students remained inspired by Reggie and they remained friends long after graduation, with many students continuing in music for their primary career. Reggie served as a national and international judge of bands, mainly show and marching bands, ranging from across the U.S., Ireland, and the Netherlands. He later served as the music teacher at Broadmoor Middle School in Shreveport and in schools in Columbia, Louisiana. He taught music education in St. Charles Parish Schools where he finally retired around 1999.

Reggie had a passion for all wildlife, and particularly the Louisiana outdoors. Earlier in life he was an avid fisherman and hunter, and greatly enjoyed dove and duck hunting, and crawfish and crab harvesting in particular. Later in life he took great joy in wildlife viewing. Reggie loved animals, especially his pet dogs and cats. Before his vision began to fail in the late 1980s, he took great joy in flying small airplanes such as his Cessna J3 Cub with his friends Bill Fleming and Bob Nichols. Upon retirement, he returned to West Monroe to be near his dear high school friends. After several years, he returned to Shreveport-Bossier to be closer to family but traveled often to West Monroe often to stay in contact with his high school friends and cousin, Stuart Hill. He was a loving father to three daughters, and two large dogs whom he treated as children.

Reggie loved movies and travel, but most of all his family and friends. He is survived by his daughters, Ashley Kneipp Walford of Bossier City, Allison Vaughn of Columbia, Missouri, and Alyssa Beck of Jackson, Wyoming. He was a loving grandfather to one grandson, Waylon Beck, also of Jackson, and many nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Reggie donated his body to science and there will be no services. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in his name to two of his favorite charities, Defenders of Wildlife/Wolf Conservation (defenders.org) or the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (www.crcl.org ).