William "Bill" Valjean Redman

William “Bill” Valjean Redman, 67, a resident of Mandeville, Louisiana, passed away on July 5, 2024, after a brief illness.

He was born on February 15, 1957, in Tulsa, OK to the late Earl Valjean and Ella Sylvia Redman. He was 24 years old when he wed Rosalyn Penton, and they remained together for the next 43 years, having two girls, Jamie Lynn and Erin Elizabeth.

Known for his generosity, good-natured personality, and phenomenal wit and humor, Bill liked to tell folks when asked what he did for a living that he was an exhibitionist. In reality, he had worked decades in the trade show exhibition industry, operating primarily out of New Orleans and Las Vegas. Prior to that, he spent several years painting cars at automotive repair shops.

 Bill was born with a creative spirit and dabbled in theatre – on and off stage – and earned a continuing education degree in Standup Comedy from the University of New Orleans. But his main love had always been music. While attending Slidell High School (Class of 1975), Bill was a four-year letterman in Band – mastering the trumpet and baritone – and picked up the guitar outside of school which he continued to play for the rest of his life.

Shortly after high school, he formed a band with a few of his friends – they called themselves Ameryst – though that wasn’t the name Bill was going for. The band was originally named Amethyst, but one of the first juke joints to hire them to play – Southern Comfort, a double wide trailer– misspelled the name on its sign and thus Ameryst was born. Together they played in every dive in St. Tammany Parish.

Bill recently had the chance to check off an item on his bucket list – he got the band back together for one last session, marking more than 50 years of friendship.

Friends and family were the hallmarks of Bill’s life. He was a loyal and steadfast friend to the end and loved his family passionately. So passionate was he about his family, that later in his life he dove into the Redman genealogy and dug up 700 new family members to love. Bill also loved his four- legged family, rescuing many dogs during his life, providing them love, shelter and treats.

As for his immediate family, Bill will always be remembered for his kindness, tender heart, sharp wit, and unflagging sense of humor.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother (Dennis Redman, Sr.) and sister (Valerie Morgan). Bill leaves behind four grandchildren – Michael and Ella Andrepont, Landon and Valor “Val” Borzelleri – and his sons-in-law Mike Andrepont and Mike Borzelleri. He is also survived by brothers Charles and Donald, sister Virginia “Ginger” Stevens, and a slew of nephews and nieces. Bill also leaves behind 4 granddogs and 2 great granddogs.