Claiborne Parish
Christmas Festival set for Saturday
This year’s Christmas Festival is sure to be fun with an action-packed day -- even if it does rain.
With a full schedule, this year’s Christmas parade will be one to be remembered.
The Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival Committee is honored to announce that Thomas Eugene “Buddy” Pixley has accepted our invitation to become this year’s Grand Marshal.
Buddy Pixley was born in Homer, in 1940, to Ernest and Ruth Pixley and has been a resident of the area since, except for a short period away in the military.
Buddy graduated from Homer High School in 1958 and was one of the famous “Homer Iron Men” football team. He attended Louisiana Tech University in Ruston before returning to Homer to work at Ludlow Plastics and the U.S. Postal Service, where he worked for 32 years before retiring as postmaster with 16 years in that position. Of special interest is that five of the employees he hired and trained have gone on to be postmasters also.
Buddy is married to Virginia Hinson and has two children: Waylon and wife Janice who live in Haughton; and Stacy and husband David, who live in Fayetteville, Ark. He also has two step-children, three step-grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Buddy is a member of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church on Lake Claiborne. He has taught the adult Sunday school class there for 38 years and is active in all aspects of church life including choir and MCAT. He is Wesley’s delegate to Annual Conference and is chairman of the Finance Committee and a member of the Administrative Board.
Some of his contributions to the community have been through positions held such as advisory committee to the Claiborne Parish School Board (1969), President of the Homer PTO (1982-85), Chairman Claiborne Christmas Festival (1984-85, 1995), President of the Homer Lions Club (1984), Zone Chairman Lions Clubs (1985), Homer Industrial Board, Chairman, Claiborne Watershed Commission (1992), Co-chair, building committee which constructed Homer Pelican field house (1984).
Buddy has always been active in the community and continues in his retirement. He currently is chairman of the Homer Memorial Hospital Board of Directors and has worked in several capacities with the hospital for the last 14 years. He was instrumental in working with the hospital administration and boards which culminated in the construction of a $2 million emergency room, visiting physician clinic, and renovation of all patient rooms. He also serves as an advisor to the 4-H Foundation of Claiborne Parish and is a Gideon speaker to the churches of Claiborne Parish.
A fifth generation resident of Claiborne Parish, his heart and soul are in this community. God has been good to him, he says, and he could do no less than to work to serve his fellow man as Jesus has told us to do.
The Christmas Parade will be held at 1 p.m., and lineup will begin at Homer High School at noon. For those still interested in participating in the parade, please call Vanessa Efferson at 927-9555.
