Elzina Silva Duplechain Bellard

Elzina Silva Duplechain Bellard, 71, a native and resident of Zachary, LA, and parishioner of St. John The Baptist Catholic Church, passed away Friday, March 12, 2021. At her and her husband’s request, no service will be held.

Silvia was born August 30, 1949, in Melville, Louisiana to Leona and John B. Duplechain. Silvia was the youngest daughter of the eight children blessed to Leona and John. From an early age to the day of her last breath, Silvia was a beautiful woman, but her looks never stood a chance in comparison to her breathtaking soul. Her husband, Dennis Bellard, believes she was the most beautiful woman to ever walk this Earth. Silvia and Dennis shared 49 wonderful years of marriage before Silvia was brought to her maker in heaven above. Silvia fought her battle against Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for a little under a year. Throughout those months, Silvia’s faith never wavered. Her faith kept her seeing the light with all of her heart, even when all she could see in her PET Scans was darkness. One of her and her husband’s favorite songs, “Go Rest High On That Mountain” by Vince Gill, is a true representation of Silvia’s life and battle with cancer – “I know your life on earth was troubled and only you could know the pain. You weren’t afraid to face the devil. You were no stranger to the rain.” During the last few months of her life, Silvia was no stranger to the rain, but she was also no stranger to the light. Throughout those months, Dennis never failed to remind her how beautiful she was and continued to fight to bring all of the light to her darkest hour – just like she was the light of his life.

Cancer was only a single chapter in Silvia’s life, it was not her whole story. Both her and her husband do not want the memories you have of her to be of her last few months, but rather the 71 years she spent bringing beauty, love, and joy to those around her. Silvia was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother. Everyone in her life was happier and more blessed when she was around – there was never a more beautiful sight to see than Silvia being around the ones she loved the most.

She was preceded in death by: her parents Leona Maryo and John B. Duplechain; brothers Phillip Duplechain, J.B. Duplechain, Jr. and Leodice Duplechain; and her son Shane Bellard.

She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Dennis Bellard; daughter-in-law Carmen Bellard; grandson Carter Bellard; granddaughter Madison Bellard; step grandchildren Brittani Phillippi and Timothy Cole; sisters – Eula Matthews, Charlene Murphy and Marjorie Perry; and her brother Floyd Duplechain.

The family would like to thank Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Dr. Lavie and staff, and Clarity Hospice with special recognition to Kristin David and the entire staff, along with the Baton Rouge Cancer Society for all of their help and support. The family would also like to thank all of the family and friends for their continuous prayers and support – included in all of the friends are The Daughters of Mary from St. John The Baptist Catholic Church and Father Jeff Bayhi.