Kitty Hebert

Kitty Marie Vickery Hebert peacefully passed away in her home on June 10^th at the age of 89, surrounded by close family and friends. Kitty was born on January 8^th, 1934, to Frank Leslie Vickery and Nettie Collier Vickery in Beaumont, Texas. She was the third of seven children and the first daughter. She graduated from Beaumont High School in 1952 and later from Lamar University.

Kitty married shortly after high school and became the mother to three children: Tommy, Debbie, and Suzy. Within six years, this marriage ended, and she found herself raising her children alone without any financial support. Facing this task ignited a fire within her that has been the driving force behind all her accomplishments since that time. Her strong will and determination led her to work two – sometimes three- jobs to support herself and her children. She realized having a skilled trade or profession was what would be required of her in order to provide a home and the security they desperately needed. During this time, she made the decision to pursue a career in nursing.

Kitty began her career in the medical field as a surgery scrub tech. She went on to become an LVN, after which she became an RN. She would eventually go on to earn her BSN from Lamar University. Her career in nursing would span over forty years, most of which were spent at Baptist Hospital. Kitty worked for many years as a scrub nurse in surgery, where she was considered one of the top nurses. She later moved into a management position where she ran the Endoscopy department. In this time, she earned the sincere respect and trust of the doctors and wonderful co-workers that she worked closely with. She ran a very tight ship in her time as department head, during which she designed the layout, equipment placement, and the methods of operation still in use today. Kitty was a mentor to so many incoming nurses during her time at Baptist and was admired and loved by all.

In May of 1975, she married the love of her life, Louis Hebert, a retired Fire Fighter, and at the time, a staff representative for the International Association of Fire Fighters. To say these two were meant for each other would be an understatement. For over forty-eight years, they have been blessed with a beautiful life together. They enjoyed time outdoors, where they worked in their majestic yard together. Over many years, they spent countless weekends renovating their beach house in order to make it their own; they were eventually able to spend leisure time relaxing and enjoying one another. The two harbored a great passion for traveling and found themselves fortunate enough to often be able to do so. Kitty and Louis also attended numerous conventions and seminars throughout the U.S. and Canada. Following retirement, they did more extensive traveling, such as ocean and river cruises that brought them to various parts of the world. Many of these trips were spent with their beloved friends, Buddy and Molly Mass, among countless others.

Kitty was preceded in death by her son, Tommy Quarles; her parents; her brothers, Harry, Tommy, and Perry; her sister, Cindy; and her two grandsons, Seth and Caleb Maurer.

Kitty is survived by her beloved husband, Louis Hebert; two daughters, Debbie Whitmire and Suzy Barton, along with their loving husbands, James Whitmire and Craig Barton; two stepdaughters, Mary Hebert and JoAnn Russo, along with husband, Mark Russo; stepson, Louis Hebert and his wife, Susan; brother, Phil Vickery; sister, Pattee Newman; grandchildren, Shannon Laird and her husband, Matthew; and Justin Sellers; great-grandchildren, Gillian, Greyden, and Griffin Laird; as well as many step-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Miss Kitty, as she was affectionately known, or as Monnie by her loving family, was deeply adored and admired. She made a mark on this world and the hearts of all who met her. Nothing will be the same without her.

A gathering of Mrs. Hebert’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont. Her funeral service will be 1:00 p.m., Thursday, June 15, 2023, at Broussard’s, with her interment to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont.