Former Vermilion Parish Sheriff Ray LeMaire leaves ‘legacy of service’

Former Vermilion Parish Sheriff Ray LeMaire, a man who dedicated most of his life to service, passed away on Monday.
He was 86. Details for services had not been released as of Tuesday morning.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of former Vermilion Parish Sheriff Raywood ‘Ray’ LeMaire,” Vermilion Parish Sheriff Eddie Langlinais said. “Sheriff LeMaire lived a life defined by service. He proudly served our country in the United States Navy, went on to a distinguished career with the Louisiana State Police, where he retired, and then continued his commitment to public service as Sheriff of Vermilion Parish.”
LeMaire joined the U.S. Navy following his graduation from Kaplan High School in 1959.
During his time in the Navy, LeMaire held the role of a shore patrol officer, a precursor to his eventual time in law enforcement.
After a discharge from the Navy, LeMaire joined the Louisiana State Police, where he spent the next 20 years. During that time, LeMaire gained experience while he served as a patrol officer, a criminal intelligence officer, and finally a narcotics enforcement officer specializing in anti-narcotics smuggling operations, where he and his team members set national records for drug seizures.
In 1984, the people of Vermilion Parish elected LeMaire as sheriff, a position to which he would be re-elected four more times. LeMaire retired in 2004.
“His career represented decades of service to his country, the State of Louisiana and the people of Vermilion Parish,” Langlinais said.
For Langlinais, the loss of Sheriff LeMaire is deeply personal.
“Sheriff LeMaire often saw more in me than I saw in myself,” Langlinais said.
That connection began in ‘84, when LeMaire hired Langlinais as a young law enforcement officer. LeMaire positioned Langlinais as a patrol lieutenant with the VPSO.
“He placed his trust and confidence in me at a young age and gave me an opportunity that would help shape the course of my life and my career,” Langlinais said.
Years later, Langlinais made the difficult decision to leave the sheriff’s office for the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
“Sheriff LeMaire once again supported me,” Langlinais said. “Rather than discourage me from leaving, he encouraged me to pursue that opportunity and continue growing in my profession.
“I have never forgotten that.”
As Langlinais’ journey continued, so did LeMaire’s backing.
“When my career brought me full circle, and I made the decision to seek the Office of Sheriff of Vermilion Parish, Sheriff LeMaire was there for me again,” Langlinais said of his run for sheriff in ‘23. “His continued confidence, encouragement, and support meant more to me than he probably ever knew. There are people who enter your life and help change its direction simply because they believe you are capable of more.
“Sheriff LeMaire was one of those people in my life.”
Langlinais said he holds an enormous amount of respect for Sheriff LeMaire—not only because of the office he held or the distinguished career he had, but because of the man he was and the way he treated people.
“Even long after his retirement,” Langlinais said, “his commitment to the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office and the people of this parish never ended. He continued to support me, the men and women of VPSO and the citizens we serve.”
As Langlinais puts it, Sheriff LeMaire understood that being Sheriff was never simply about holding an elected office.
“It was about serving people, supporting the men and women who wear the badge, and leaving the Sheriff’s Office stronger for the generations that follow,” Langlinais said.
“Today, I find myself serving in the same office once held by the man who gave a young patrol lieutenant an opportunity more than four decades ago. That is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Late Monday and into Tuesday morning, family, friends, and those who served under LeMaire remembered a life well lived, a life devoted to service.
“On behalf of myself, my family, and the entire Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office,” Langlinais said, “I extend our deepest condolences to Sheriff Lemaire’s family and loved ones. We thank them for sharing him with this community for so many years. Vermilion Parish has lost a dedicated public servant, a law enforcement leader, a United States Navy veteran, a former Louisiana State Trooper, a Sheriff, and a friend. I have lost someone who believed in me long before I fully believed in myself.
“Sheriff Raywood “Ray” LeMaire leaves behind a legacy of service that will not be forgotten.”