Pat Brister, one of St. Tammany Parish’s most accomplished public servants, has passed away at the age of 73.
Brister most recently served as Parish President, but also had stints as the State GOP Chairwoman, and President Bush’s 2004 Louisiana Reelection Campaign Chair. St. Tammany Superintendent Trey Folse knew her well and says his wife and daughter looked up to Brister.
“I think they speak for many women and others, and everyone across St. Tammany Parish that was amazed at what she accomplished and how hard she worked, but as hard as she worked she always managed to balance that with her family,” said Folse.
She also served as a Parish Councilwoman and Ambassador to the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women.
Folse says during her eight-year tenure as Parish President, which ended after her reelection defeat last year, she was a strong champion for quality public schools.
“She always supported us. She realized the value of a good strong public school system, and how if we were successful it made St. Tammany Parish more successful when it came to quality of life,” says Folse.
Brister was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years ago.
Brister also helped in the creation of Safe Haven St. Tammany, a mental health center founded in 2018.
“I remember the ribbon cutting for that and how happy and proud she was in that moment, and how she knew that this was something that was going to last way beyond her term as Parish President,” says Folse.
