Sheron Cambias St. Amant of Metairie, a longtime resident and native of Gentilly before Hurricane Katrina claimed all her earthly possessions, died peacefully Thursday, March 23, after a 4-year long journey through the gauntlet of cancer. Throughout her final days she was blessed to have all of her family by her side, who were ones she lived for and suffered for to keep giving. A weaker person may have given up long before Sheron did, but in addition to enduring the horrible pain of cancer, she did it with her characteristic courage, smile and positive attitude about life, which she shared with her best friend and daughter Melissa St. Amant and her faithful and devoted partner of more than 30 years, Ronnie Mullet.
In addition to Melissa and Ronnie, she is survived by her loving son, Jed St. Amant, her sister Gayle Cambias Gardner and her brother Robert J. “Jay” Cambias, Jr. and his wife Mary “Candy” Cowles Cambias, who will miss her terribly. She is also survived by step-granddaughter Krissy Easterwood and Krissy’s twin 10-year-old boys, Jaxon and Haylon Ladner.
Sheron enjoyed many years of dancing in many forms and she kept fit doing exercise and Jazzercise when it first came out and later with her many friends at Elmwood (now Ochsner) Fitness Center, even up until one month prior to her death March 23. Melissa and Sheron were inseparable throughout their entire lives together and bought a townhouse together after the flood destroyed their Cameron Boulevard home. Throughout all this time, Ronnie provided a solid support and love for them both, despite losing his own shop as well to the storm.
Not only will Sheron’s energy and “joie de vivre” be missed by her immediate survivors, but her nephews Kevin M. Gardner and Robert J. “Rob” Cambias, V and nieces Ylon Gardner Lorio and Shannon Cambias Prator will certainly be saddened to see the first break in more than 50 years of their Nanny Sheron’s beautiful show of love at every single holiday and birthday in her delivery of greeting cards. And a Christmas or New Year’s Eve celebration will be that less rich without Sheron’s delectable carrot cake with an icing that no one has figured out how to duplicate. And Sheron’s famous green jalapeno pepper jelly would be a gift enjoyed year-round. She learned to cook from her mother, the late Jennie Romaguera Cambias, who brought Old World cooking recipes passed down from her Sicilian and Spanish grandparents to the table, and Sheron made the recipes her own with the addition of a New Orleans creole touch.
Sheron cherished her nieces and nephews and their spouses Mary Gardner, Paul Lorio and Selah Rose Cambias. She kept them in her thoughts even through her own travails with cancer.
Born to Jennie and Robert J. “Bob” Cambias, III, she grew up in Gentilly Terrace and graduated from St. Joseph Academy. She married the late Ewell J. “Duke” St. Amant, Jr., who was tragically killed while Jed was very young and she was expecting with Melissa. Despite this terrible time in her life, she rebounded and went to work to raise her children as a legal secretary for more than 35 years with Gardner, Robein & Urann and later for Julie Richard Spencer.
Given Sheron’s love of life, dancing, health and exercise, the family requests that memorials in her honor be made in the form of a donation to one’s cancer charity of choice.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass at 11:00 am on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 in the J. Garic Schoen Chapel of JACOB SCHOEN & SON, 3827 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA. Visitation will be from 9:00 am until the time of the Mass. Interment will be in Hope Mausoleum.

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