Joseph "Jay" Charles Priest

A celebration of Joseph “Jay", "JC", "Papaw" Charles Priest’s life will be held Saturday, February 24, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home at 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport, LA 71118. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana to Joseph and Mary Priest on August 15, 1938, Jay passed away at 85 with his daughter and daughter-in-law at his side in the early morning hours of Wednesday, February 7, 2024. 
 
Jay attended Hamilton Terrace on then went on to graduate from C.E. Byrd High School in the class of 1958. After graduating he joined the United States Air Force and upon honorable discharge joined the Army Reserves/National Guard. During their time in the service, his best friend in the Air Force, John Riley Baxter, showed Jay a picture of his sister and Jay told him he was going to marry her, Janice Theresa Baxter. They wed on September 15, 1961 and were married for 60 glorious years! Jay began his baking career in his parent's bakery, J-Nettes Bakery down from The Shreveport Municipal Auditorium.  He went on to become a  Master Baker. Together, they owned and operated the following six businesses which were in Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana and one in Brentwood, Tennessee: Priest Grocery & Bakery, Dixie Donuts, Priest Bakery, Michael’s Bakery, Priest Bakery & Deli, New York Pizza, and Mrs. T’s Donuts. During his last working years, Jay continued to supply his bread to Ernest Supper Club and his good friend, Ernest Palmisano, Jr. He has always been known as The Bread Man. Before the dawn of the franchise restaurants Jay provided bread for some of Shreveport's most honored family owned restaurants. He made bread for Mr. Ernest at the Supper Club downtown following to Ernest Orleans Restaurant. Back in the Day if you dined at Brocato’s, Don’s Seafood & Steakhouse, Steak & Lobster, Fertittas Delicatessen, Cobb’s BBQ and so many more that spanned almost 4 decades! “JC” as he was known to so many worked as a Slot Supervisor for 11 years at Horse Shoe Casino and Hotel. He loved that job. He loved all his “Girls” as he called them. Y’all know who you are! J.C. loved playing the game of golf! It was always a funny joke that he told Momma that he was getting some new clubs, he just conveniently left out the fact they were custom measured Kenneth Smith Clubs back before I guess that was a thing. He loved those clubs though! He tried his hardest to get all of the kids involved on golf but Ricky was really the only one who liked it.  
 
He is preceded in death by his parents, Mary Maniscalco and Joseph Priest; his older brother and sister-in-law, Anthony and Betty Priest; mother and father-in-law, Samuel Claire and Ruby Bickham Baxter; brother-in-law Don Preston, and his favorite paternal uncles. Left to cherish his memory are his three children, 15 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren which include daughter, Theresa Priest Sistrunk (Lee); Kasey Anderson (Brian), Ava, Jack, Anna; Brittany Knox (Tyson), Ryker, Remi; Melanie Ghaffarian (Michael), Sophie; Natalie Sistrunk (Alex); son, Richard “Ricky” Priest (Candice); Rebecca Dykes (Bryan), Paige, Charlie; Randi Adkins (Derrick), Joshua Teston; Joseph “JC” Priest; Tara Thorne (Trent Daugherty, fiancé), Larkin; Jacob Wiggins (Alicia Richard fiancé), Laelynn; Caleb Wiggins; daughter, Karen Priest Balthrop (Granville “Chip”); Joseph Austin Parker (Elizabeth), Lily Claire, Savannah Blake; Saige Parker; Rylan Parker, Rhett Charles; Bailey Palmer (Hunter) and their son, Woods; Granville “Nicholas”; sister, Annette Priest Willis (Ronnie); sister-in-law, Debbie Baxter Preston; brother-in-law, Michael C. Baxter; numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital (http://www.stjude.org/)  Shriner’s Hospital (https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/give) or Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Ministry of Care Shreveport, LA.