We proudly proclaim Lou Chauvin "Father of the Decade"

Martina would like to thank Lou for all the times when parents asked him to take care of their children for a night...and that one night turned into two weeks. Lou, you loved our kids; you fed our kids. You treated them all as if they were your own. You kept them safe. You never said no when your neighbors stopped by in the early a.m. or in the middle of the night with their kids and a story.

Trish Kenney says, "Going to work as a single parent with young children was one of the most difficult things I had to do. I felt that only I could give my kids the unconditional love they needed. Not so. One person I would like to thank is Lou Chauvin. Lou is the soul parent of many of the kids in our neighborhood. Lou, I love that my girls got to know you when they were little.

"I would like to express my thanks to Lou in the telling of an incident that happened when Caitlin and Lacey were three or four years old. Lou was taking care of the twins during my substitute teaching days. When I went to pick them up from Lou's house after school, Caitlin was sitting on a chair watching Lou wash the dishes. Caitlin reached over, patted Lou's arm and said, "Lou you're beautiful." I have always thought so too.

"Thank you, Lou, for making it possible for the rest of the teachers in our community to be able to go to work in peace." 

Laurie Prouty stated, "Lou was a real father to Seth while he was growing up. Knowing that Lou was always there for Seth was great; it was very reassuring to know that my child would be fed and cared for. We called him "Uncle Lou," and he was everybody's favorite uncle. Lou provided for the kids every time they were around, always feeding them, driving them wherever they needed to go, and never complaining about how many times he had already driven to town. (Fortunantly Lou always had a good book he was reading and would patiently wait in the car). Thank you, Lou, for making my job of parenting so much easier."

Another local, John Meengs said, "Chad loved to eat. Always did. And he always knew where to go when he was hungry."

Thank you, Lou, for supporting all the kids of the neighborhood. 

Lou was involved with the Josephine County Planning Office for many years, only resigning when the drive to Grants Pass became difficult for him. He received a letter of appreciation from Michael Snider, Josephine County Planning Commissioner, honoring him for a job well done. Here is an excerpt from that letter:

"Dear Lou, I am disappointed to receive your letter of resignation from the Planning Commission! I certainly understand your reasons but damn it! Lou, I have greatly enjoyed your presence and personality on the commission, and your clear thinking and straight ahead approach to land use problems. You have served the citizens of Josephine County very well. I know all of us will miss your service. By the way, you remind me of an Eagle, making your nest in high places." Your friend, Michael Snider, Josephine County Planning Commisioner.