(MAY 26) WBAN gives our condolences to the family and friends of photographer Patricia Kay Butaud.  Butaud did a lot of past coverage for WBAN ringside at many of the events in Texas and some coverage in Louisiana.  She was an avid follower of the sport.

We just found out yesterday, that Butaud died on March 25, 2011.  She was born in Houston to Bert and Kathryn Whitehead Butaud. She lived her life in Pt. Arthur and was a counselor with the Texas Youth Commission. Patricia served in the U.S. Army and held a Master's Degree from the University of Texas.

In the local news they reported:  "The Port Arthur Police Department has released the name of a woman who died after jumping from the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge last week. The deceased has been identified as Patricia Butaud, 56, of Port Arthur, PAPD Maj. Raymond Clark said. Witnesses told officers they saw a woman park her vehicle at the top of the bridge at about 5:50 p.m. March 25. She exited her vehicle, looked over the side of the bridge and jumped, according to a press release from the Port Arthur Police Department. The woman’s body was recovered in the Neches River shortly after the incident."

Butaud was buried on Sunday, March 27, 2011, in the Fairmount Cemetery near Hemphill under the direction of Starr Funeral Home.