Obituary for Jules Anthony "Tony" Bouillet
Vincennes artist and businessman, Jules A. Bouillet died January 14, 2023. Jules was born in Vincennes on May 21, 1939, the son of Jules and Alice (DuPont) Bouillet. He grew up in Vincennes and attended St. Francis Xavier grade school and Central Catholic high school. Graduating soon thereafter from De Vry’s Beauty School in Evansville, he worked in the Evansville Store’s salon and later at Klein’s Hair Fashions. He married the former Suzanne Reel in June, 1962. From 1962 to 1965 he served in the United States Naval Air Reserves as an instructor in flight navigation. He returned to Vincennes in 1965 and was owner and operator of Jules’ Hair Fashions on Hart Street for twenty-one years and Jules’ Hair Fashions downtown with partners Ronald Colburn and Pat Ray for ten years. After leaving the beauty business, he started the Shaker Prairie Shop with his wife, Suzanne, and later, his son Brian. The business flourished for over forty years. Jules carved all of the original patterns for the decorative duck decoys that were cast and hand-painted at the Shaker Prairie Shop. At one time the Shop employed some thirty people and shipped decoys to retail dealers all over the United States and several countries in Europe and Asia. During the early years of the new business, Jules also carved live-sized wildlife originals for competition in the Ward Brothers world-class championships in Maryland. He was the first woodcarver invited to participate in the prestigious ‘Birds in Art Show’ in Wausau, Wisconsin, featuring other world-renowned artists. He exhibited at Wausau for six years, and his work was selected for inclusion in the show’s annual traveling exhibits at museums in Scotland, England, and California. He has donated original carvings to the Vincennes Catholic Schools’ Art and Antique Auctions, Ducks Unlimited Chapters, including the San Diego Chapter, and the Quail Unlimited Chapter in Savannah, Georgia. His
original carvings have been featured in national magazines, like Saturday Evening Post, exhibited in galleries throughout the United State and Europe, and held in numerous private collections.
Jules is survived by his wife, Suzanne (Reel), and their three sons and their families:
Brian and his wife Kimberly of Vincennes, and their children, Chase Adams and wife Kelly of
Vincennes, Erica Boswell and husband Brad of Indianapolis, Chandler Bouillet of Vincennes, and Blair Bouillet of Phoenix, AZ; Bruce and his wife, Akiko of Las Vegas, NM, and his daughter Tara and husband, Brent Harrison of Bowling Green, KY; Aaron and his wife Heather of Indianapolis, and their children, Anna of Columbus, OH, Evan of Boston, MA, and Danielle of Indianapolis, IN.
Jules has been a lifetime member of the Old Cathedral Catholic Church in Vincennes, and served
on the Board of Vincennes University’s Catholic Newman Club. He loved music, played the clarinet in his youth, and later the banjo in the popular local folk-band, The Coachmen, initiated and directed by his life-long friend, Richard Faulkner. Fascinated from youth and by his Naval experience with airplanes, he was an avid member of the local Model Airplane Flying Club. He also loved sports, and throughout his middle years, competed regularly as a member of the notorious Double-Faults tennis team.
The family will hold a memorial Mass conducted by Rev. Tony Ernst at Old Cathedral on
Saturday, January 21, with visitation at 10am, and service at 11am. Final arrangements are being made at the Duesterberg Fredrick Funeral Home. The family has requested no flowers. Memorial contributions may be made to the Old Cathedral Building Fund, the Knox Co. Public Library, or the Good Samaritan Hospice program.
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Previous Events
Visitation
Saturday
21
Jan
10:00 AM
- 11:00 AM
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
205 Church St.
Vincennes, IN 47591
Funeral Mass
Saturday
21
Jan
11:00 AM
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
205 Church St.
Vincennes, IN 47591
Memorial Contribution
Good Samaritan Hospice
Old Cathedral Building Fund
Knox County Public Library
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