Rudy Joseph Lombard

Dr. Rudy Joseph Lombard (1939-2014)

Order of Service Musical Prelude Opening Hymn

“Amazing Grace�

Scripture Reading

Psalm 23:1-6

Prayer Opening Remarks

Pastor C. S. Gordon, Jr.

Obituary & Acknowledgements

Damon Lombard Derrick Lombard Tanya Leah Lombard

Remembrances:

Waldo Jeff Dave Dennis Edwin Lombard

Musical Selection

Lois Dejean

Eulogy

Pastor C. S. Gordon Jr.

Benediction Recessional

New Zion Baptist Church 2319 Third Street New Orleans, LA 70113 Dr. C. S. Gordon, Jr. - Officiating

Saturday, December 20, 2014 Visitation: 8:30 A. M. Service: 10:00 A. M.

Obituary Rudy Joseph Lombard, Phd. on Saturday, December 13, 2014 at 12 o’clock noon. Beloved son of the late Warren and Delores Robinson Lombard. Brother of Judge Edwin A. Lombard (Gelone), the late Coach Roland V. Lombard and Warraine Lombard; brother in law of Barbara Lombard: Uncle of Tanya, Leah, Derrick, and Damon Lombard. Also survived by a host of other loving relatives and friends.

Dr. Rudy Lombard was a quintessential New Orleans renaissance man, who exemplified the highest standards of leadership and public service in the fields of civil rights, social justice, urban planning, public policy, cultural studies, investment management, economic empowerment and public health, improving the lives of countless people of all social, racial and economic backgrounds across the country.

Dr. Lombard was born in New Orleans and grew up in Algiers. He attended All Saints Catholic Elementary School and graduated from Xavier Preparatory School. Dr. Lombard attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor for his freshman year of college, but recognizing the financial burden his family faced, he returned to New Orleans, enrolled at Xavier University and worked his way through college working as a longshoreman on the New Orleans riverfront. He joined the International Longshoremen’s Association, Local 1419, then the largest all black labor union local in the United States. As an active member of the union, Dr. Lombard gained invaluable organizational and leadership skills.

While working on the docks, Dr. Lombard earned an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Xavier University in 1961. At Xavier, Dr. Lombard was elected president of his senior class at Xavier University and emerged as a leader of civil rights demonstrations, including direct action to desegregate Canal St. lunch counters in New Orleans. He was elected president of the New Orleans chapter of the Congress for Racial Equality, CORE, which included students from Xavier, Tulane, Loyola and Dillard Universities. After New Orleans Mayor deLesseps Chep Morrison and New Orleans Police Superintendent Joseph Giarrusso declared that no additional sit-ins and other demonstrations would not be permitted, less than a week later, Dr. Lombard and three other students staged another sit-in demonstration at the lunch counter of McCory’s Five and Ten Cents store on Canal Street. Dr. Lombard and his fellow CORE members were arrested and charged with felony criminal mischief, tried and convicted. Dr. Lombard. successfully challenged his arrest and conviction resulting in the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Lombard vs. the State of Louisiana, one of five landmark public accommodations cases that led to the desegregation of restaurants, hotels, city halls, drinking fountains, public auditoriums, department stores and other public places.

In 1961, after being elected national vice-chairman of CORE's board of directors, Dr. Lombard served as logistics director for the CORE sponsored “Freedom Rides.” Dr. Lombard trained many of the more than 400 Freedom Riders who came to New Orleans for non-violence orientation and training.

From 1962 through 1963, Dr. Lombard led CORE voter registration drives in New Orleans and rural parishes of Louisiana as well as in Florida, Boston and Syracuse, New York.

Dr. Lombard earned a Masters Degree in Social Sciences in 1963, and a PhD in Urban Studies in 1970 from Syracuse University.

From 1970 through 1980, Dr. Lombard was the founding Executive Director of the Howard University Institute on Drug Abuse and Addiction, serving patients and drug-addicted persons utilizing the emergency and clinical services at Howard University’s Freedman’s Hospital in Washington, DC. After service at Howard University, Dr. Lombard returned to New Orleans where he conceived, founded and led the work of the Claiborne Avenue Design Team, a partnership of urban planners, architects, engineers, social scientists and tradition bearers responsible for creating a redevelopment plan for the 8mile area under and near the elevated expressway on Claiborne Avenue. The construction of the elevated highway had caused urban blight and accelerated physical deterioration and economic decline of adjacent historic minority communities. The landmark CADT study took into account the exceptional contribution of African Americans to the unique New Orleans culture in architecture, musical and culinary traditions, carnival celebrations and social networks. The CADT study is today recognized as a prototype for stakeholder and community participation in urban planning.

Subsequently, Dr. Lombard authored “The New Orleans Creole Feast,” a cookbook featuring 300 recipes from 15 African American chefs who were directly responsible for the reputations of New Orleans’ most famous restaurants In 1975, Dr. Lombard was co-founder of the New Orleans Neighborhood Development Foundation, a first time homebuyers training program for low-income African American families. Since its founding, NDF has successfully assisted more than 3000 families become homeowners, building wealth and economic security for three generations of African Americans in New Orleans. Later, Dr. Lombard helped create a successful asset management firm, Quantum/Gabelli, where he served as managing partner.

Quantum/Gabelli was a strong advocate for involving minority investment professionals in the policies and work of public sector retirement systems, and for education and training of minority pension trustees.

After Dr. Lombard was first diagnosed with prostate cancer, he embarked on a journey of study with urologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists and medical specialists. Through his studies, Dr. Lombard recognized the need of African American prostate cancer patients and survivors to collaborate with each other. He founded the Second Opinion Society (SOS), to help patients and survivors work with clinicians, bio medical researchers, family caregivers and community. Under Dr. Lombard’s leadership, SOS provided counseling services, organized conferences and established an annual Bio-Medical Symposium at Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Lombard continued his work across the country with SOS and national survivor organizations, including the Prostate Net and PHEN. Dr. Lombard later worked as research associate at the Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, and as community outreach coordinator at the Walter Center for Urological Health at Northshore University Health system in Evanston, IL. Dr. Lombard’s rich life and singular legacy stand as an eternal inspiration for all the lives he touched.

Memories

Memories

Pallbearers Active The Black Men of Labor Social and Pleasure Club

Honorary Willie Adams, Calvin Barnes, Honorable Sidney Barthelemy, Jr., Ron Chisom, Ron Cowin, Dave Dennis, Keith A. Doley, Bob Edelman, Gerald Emelle, E.J. Gilbert, N. Sundiyata Haley, Okyeame Haley, Russ Herman, Dr. James Hobbs, Don Hubbard, Billy Hunter, Stanley Jackson, Cliff James, Waldo Jeff, Fred Johnson, Derrick Jones, Honorable Moon Landrieu, Dave Lomax, Alden Lombard, Jr., Alton Lombard, Sr., Art Lombard, Damon Lombard, Derrick Lombard, Honorable Edwin A. Lombard, Guy Lombard, Ken Lombard, Vince Lombard, Dr. Dwight McKenna, Jim Montgomery, Jacques Morial, Honorable Marc Morial, Emmett Moten, Matthew Reed, Andrew Robinson, Bruce Robinson, Dr. Fletcher Robinson, Gerard Robinson, Harold Robinson, Jr., Kevin Robinson, Tommy Robinson, Dr. Vincent Roux, Raynard Sanders, Jerry Singleton, Jerome Smith, Harry Tabony, Tambourine and Fan, Honorable Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux, Tim Will, Darryl William, Jr., James Williams

New Orleans CORE Members Julia Aaron Humbles, David Dennis, Jerome Smith, Jean Denton-Thompson, Don Hubbard, Sandra Nixon Thomas, Doratha Smith-Simmons, Alice Thompson, Matt “Flukie� Suarez, Sidney Goldfinch, Jr., Betty Daniels Rosemond, Claude Reese, Patricia Smith, Katrina Jackson Ndang, Israel Sidney, Margaret Leonard, Joyce Taylor, Robert Heller, Jill Finstein, Daphne Wallace, Juanita Betz, Harold Sullivan, Ed Myers, Archie Allen, Cecil Carter, Ruth Despenza, William Harper, William Harrell, Hugh Murray, Jr., Herbert Newman, Oliver St. Pee, David Smother

Deceased Members Oretha Castle Haley, Doris Jean Castle, Shirley Thompson, Isaac Reynolds, Jr., Thomas Valentine, George Raymond, Frank Nelson, Carlene Smith, Linda Diane Smith, Richard Haley (Southern Regional Director of CORE), Geraldine Conrad, Walter Webb, Walter Banks, Ruthie Wells, Connie Bradford

Acknowledgements Special Thanks To Caregivers: Laphongee Shelton , Willie Adams, Calvin Barnes, Dr. Traci Beck, Donna Gilbert, EJ Gilbert, Dr. James & Ami Hobbs, Waldo & Millie Jeff, Fred Johnson, Dana Lomax, Dave Lomax, Barbara Lombard, Damon Lombard, Derrick Lombard, Gelone Lombard, Tanya Lombard, Pauline & Jim Montgomery, Kevin Parker & Karen Rogers Arrangements by D. W. Rhodes Funeral Home

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