Dan Hugh Broussard

Dan Hugh Broussard, 88, of Beaumont, passed away on Tuesday, March 26, 2025, at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He was born on January 25, 1937, to Lucille Schexnaider Broussard and Henry R. Broussard, in the village of Estherwood, Louisiana.

Dan overcame many obstacles in his life. The town he was born in and lived had no electricity until he was 6 years old, and they still didn’t have electricity until he was in the 6^th grade (not even the schools – they used lanterns).  After his teacher suggested they move to Crowley for better schools, his parents made the decision to move. In July 1953, after his sophomore year at Crowley High School, the family moved to Orange, Texas. He was upset because he had to leave many friends and was in all kinds of sports in school – boxing, track, and football. Dan also worked as a Head Lifeguard at the city pool. The move turned out to be very positive – he attended and graduated from Stark High School, where he played sports and was very popular, being elected Senior Class King.  It was also in Orange, where he met the love of his life and future wife, Virginia Hart Clause, when he was 16, although she didn’t want anything to do with him and walked off the dance floor when he asked her to dance with him. Dan was persistent. In the meantime, he went to Lamar University for 2 years and worked for Lutcher Stark Lumber Company. He continued to pursue Virginia, and she finally consented, very reluctantly, to a date in February 1957 – he was 20 and she was soon to be 21 (she didn’t find out she was a year older than him until they had been married for a couple of years).  They didn’t date long before he asked Virginia’s parents for her hand, and they were married on August 17, 1957.  They had 3 children, Renée in 1958, Stephanie in 1959, and Stephen in 1960. They continued to live in Orange until moving to Beaumont in 1964.

While working at Lutcher Stark Lumber, Dan met a man that would become his mentor in business and his future partner, Charles Benckenstein (Mr. B). They both left the lumber company and started a company in Beaumont called House & Home, and Dan was still commuting from Orange.  Together, in late 1964, Dan and Mr. B bought a Manpower franchise – the first in Beaumont.  Dan stayed in the business until 1974, when his partner bought him out and he went to work for their largest customer, Cesco (later BFI Chemical Services Division) where he became a Branch Manager and moved the family to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1975.  They stayed in Delaware until 1980, when he was transferred to take over the company’s largest branch, so back to southeast Texas they went and settled back in Beaumont. After BFI sold out to another company, Dan started another business, Daniel’s Industrial Service in Orange, Texas, in 1985. After he sold the company in 1996 to a competitor, he went to work for them for a period of time. After trying his hand at retirement for a few years, Dan decided he couldn’t play “that much golf” and went back to work in February 2003 for M&D Supply in Beaumont. After working a brief period in the hardware department, then becoming the department manager, leadership at M&D found out about Dan’s business background and his extensive knowledge of risk, safety, and OSHA regulations from his many years in the industrial services industry. He first took on the role of safety and risk leader for their flagship store, then for the 4 Golden Triangle area stores, and later the 4 Houston area stores that were added. After Virginia became disabled with a stroke in 2015, he scaled back to a part-time role until he retired in December 2020.

Dan loved to dance and many, especially Virginia, said he was the best dancer they had ever danced with – especially doing the jitterbug.  After their kids were grown, it was not uncommon for them to go dancing 3-4 times a week. On New Years’ Eve, December 31, 2014, they stayed out and danced until 2:00am. She and Dan danced their way through life and were still dating and dancing until she suffered a stroke in January 2015.  After Virginia passed, his oldest daughter became his “wing-woman” when he decided he would like to get out and dance again.

Dan was an avid golfer and was very proud of his one and only Hole in One, on Hole #17, at Henry Homberg Golf Course in Beaumont on December 11, 2010.  Dan also loved to hunt and fish – especially duck hunting. The last time he fished was with his daughter, Renée, at Rollover Pass on Boliver in the summer of 2018.  Dan also loved watching football, any football but especially the Dallas Cowboys, and watching John Wayne westerns.

Dan was a member of the Rotary Club in Orange, Texas, was in a leadership role in the Sabine Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, and was a member of Beaumont Elks Lodge 311 until his death.

Dan knew so many people and had many friends – he was a very loyal friend and if he called you a friend, you were a friend for life. He was a successful businessman who overcame an impoverished upbringing to be a great provider for his family – at one point belonging to every country club in the Golden Triangle so he could golf and Virginia could take the kids to swim, and was wonderful and loving husband, dad, and grandfather.  People will remember Dan as a “proud, earnest, loyal, and honorable man” with a great smile…and who loved to dance.

Survivors include daughters, Renée Broussard of Houston and Stephanie Smith of Beaumont; son, Stephen Broussard (Talise) of Montgomery, Texas; grandchildren, Danny Broussard, Craig Smith, Stephen Smith, Courtney Ivy (Josh), Sarah Dillon, Michelle Smith (Clayton), Amy Welborn (Hunter), and Trace Broussard; great-grandchildren, Gracie Havard, Mannix Smith, Alicia Smith, Cameron Smith, Jax Smith, Lillee Blanton, Lexi Blanton, Preston Broussard, Elijah Smith, Maddie Smith, Colter Welborn, Warren Welborn, and Margo Welborn; step-grandchildren, Logan Blanchette and Trent Childs, Richard Karl “Bubba” Blanton III and Kailey Blanton; four step-great-grandchildren, Anthony Goldbeck, Neches Goldbeck, Cruz Ivy and Jett Ivy; one great-great-step-grandchild, Zayden Blanton. He’s also survived by his sister-in-law, Fran Harriman of New Braunfels and extended family members, Glen and Madeline Longnion of Dayton, Texas and Lance Smith of Beaumont.

He is preceded in death by his parents; brother, John; and the love of his life and wife of 58 years, Virginia Hart Broussard.

A heartfelt thank you to the doctors and staff at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where Dan was treated for lung cancer for 17 years, and spent the last 2 weeks of his life with is daughter by his side. Through their care, and he always being the over-achiever, he far exceeded their expectations even though cancer finally won the war.

Memorial contributions may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486 Houston, Texas 77210 give online.

A gathering of Mr. Broussard’s family and friends will be from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., with a time of sharing at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, April 3, 2025, at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 6825 Gladys Avenue, Beaumont, with his interment to follow at Magnolia Cemetery, Beaumont.