Lahners
Captain William Stanley Lahners, Jr., 73 years of age, of Metairie, Louisiana passed away on June 7, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. William (Billy) was born in New Orleans, LA to William Stanley Lahners, Sr. and Regina Howell Lahners on February 23, 1944. He was a student at Saint Raphael Grammar School and Cor Jesu High School. He attended Louisiana State University on a judo scholarship. Billy married Donna Marie Hidalgo on July 22, 1972. They have two children, William Stanley Lahners, III and Lauren Elizabeth Lahners.
Billy was a member of New Orleans Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association for 45 years, where he was known as a dedicated pilot and as an (often) outspoken advocate of what he believed was in the best interest of the association. Over the years Billy served as Vice President of the NOBRA Board of Directors and president of the NOBRA Board of Commissioners. He was a founding member of the Maritime Navigation Safety Association, president of MNSA for many years and was with affiliated with numerous other maritime organizations.
After retiring from NOBRA he became the relief pilot for Delta Queen Steamboat Company's American Queen, where he piloted until his passing. He was also a member of the Krewe of Sparta. He spent many years working on tugboats and one of his beliefs was that the tugboat crews - especially the deckhands - were the backbone of the river.
Billy was a lifelong member of Jacques Legrand's Judo School, where he attained the level of 5th degree black belt and was invited to train at the Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs. Some of Billy's fondest memories were made at "the Farm" better known as The Old Fashioned Gun and Social Club. He was in an early group of scuba divers now known as the Aqua Aces Dive Club. Billy was a devoted member of Saint Catherine of Siena's Adoration Chapel.
Billy is preceded in death by his parents, William Stanley Lahners, Sr. and Regina Howell Lahners, brother Louis Howell Lahners, mother-in-law Betty Breen Hidalgo and brother-in-law Harold Dan Sheets.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Donna Hidalgo Lahners, son William Stanley Lahners, III, daughter-in-law Janet Pruet Lahners, daughter Lauren Elizabeth Lahners, sister Regina Lahners Herzog (Fred), sister-in-law Mary Ann Scioneaux Lahners, father-in-law Paul Donald Hidalgo (Barbara), brother-in-law Michael William Hidalgo (Vitalija), brother-in-law Paul Gerald Hidalgo (Vickie), sister-in-law Lori Hidalgo Bayliss (Steve), sister-in-law Leslie Hidalgo Sheets, sister-in-law Lisa Hidalgo Schuster (Keith), brother-in-law William Breen Hidalgo, loving nieces and nephews and many wonderful friends.
Visitation will be Wednesday, June 14, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at JACOB SCHOEN & SON, 3827 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA, followed by Mass at 1:30 p.m. with Father Bob Masset officiating. To view and sign the guestbook, please go to www.schoenfh.com.

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