By Cyndi Sellers

Former Cameron Parish Sheriff Theos Duhon has died at the age of 75. The 40 year law enforcement officer passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020 after a long illness. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Johnson Funeral Home in Lake Charles. Details were not available at press time.

Theos Duhon started his law enforcement career at the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s department and later served as Chief Deputy for Cameron Parish Sheriff Sono Savoie. When Savoie retired, Duhon ran for Sheriff and won, taking office in July 2004. He served two terms, retiring in 2012 after 30 years with the Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office.

During his term, he had to deal with not one but two major hurricanes, Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008, and many of the improvements he had envisioned for the department had to be put on hold as the parish recovered.

One legacy of his term of office is the new Cameron Parish Law Enforcement Center, which was begun during his final term. Duhon dedicated his share of the Cheniere LNG Payment in Lieu of Taxes to the cost of the new center, which was completed after he left office.

Upon his retirement he said, “I have enjoyed my time here. There is no place like Cameron Parish. The people are super great. When you need help everybody will help out. Because its rural, you get to know everybody. I’ve been here 30 years and enjoyed every minute of it. I’m not leaving Cameron Parish; I love this place.”

Duhon’s successor and former Chief Deputy Ron Johnson had this to say about his former boss:

“Like many of us at the Sheriff’s Office I had the pleasure of working with and for Theos for many years. I personally worked for Theos 22 years. He had a unique understanding of people and law enforcement. He was 100 percent law enforcement. All of us learned much from him. He had a great way of keeping things in perspective and finding out the truth.

“In his earlier days while at the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office he was considered one of the top narcotics detectives in the state. While going to several law enforcement schools in Louisiana, it seemed someone knew Theos at almost every one of them. Everyone would say, ‘We just love Theos, he’s a great guy.’ Many had Theos stories.

“Many tears have already been shed due to his passing. I still called him Sheriff even after he retired