Grace Catherine Cascio-Houston

Memorial service for Mrs. Grace Catherine Cascio-Houston, 80, of Monroe, LA, will be held at 10:00AM Thursday, April 4, 2024, at Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic Church with Rev. Peter Mangum and Deacon Chris Domingue officiating. Entombment will follow at Mulhearn Memorial Park Mausoleum. Visitation will be from 5:00PM until 7:00PM, Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at Mulhearn Funeral Home, 2308 Sterlington Road, Monroe, LA. 

Grace – a wonderful wife, momma, Nana, sister, and friend to many – was born in Monroe, LA, on February 24, 1944, and passed away in Monroe on March 30, 2024.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Lennie and Katie Cascio; sister, Virginia Cascio LeBlanc; son-in-law, Troy Hans Luttgeharm. 

Grace received both her Bachelor of Science (1964) and Master of Science (1974) in Mathematics from ULM. She received her Doctorate degree (1985) in Mathematical Statistics from ULL.  After spending most of her career as a Professor of Mathematics, in 2006, Grace retired from LSU at Eunice having served as the Division Head.

Grace was an active member of the community.  As a member of Jesus the Good Shepard church, she served as a lector and a member of  ACTS.   She served on the ULM Alumni Board as secretary, the Board of Directors for the Strauss Theatre Center and acted in several plays. In her favorite role, she volunteered at the Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum as “Mrs. Claus”.

Grace was the 1961 valedictorian of Ouachita Parish High School and enjoyed monthly lunches with classmates and planning her high school reunions. 

Since 1961, Grace was a lifelong member of Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity, serving in many positions on the local, regional, and international levels;  most recently as International Vice President from 2013-2019.  In 1991, Grace won the Rose award given to an alumnae for their lifetime commitment to Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity.  

Survivors include her husband, Johnny Bob Houston; two daughters: Mary LaMarca Rhea, husband Jamey, and Paulen LaMarca Landrum, husband John; stepdaughter, Dee Ann Houston, husband Goni Karmuco; stepson, Michael Paul Houston; two granddaughters: Mikki Lee Wright, wife Morgan, and Blaise Elizabeth Caldwell; three grandsons: Riley Paul Luttgeharm, David Landrum and Christopher Karmuco; and brother-in-law, Darrell LeBlanc. 

Memorials may be made to the local Food Bank in Monroe or to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.