GONZALES — Jacobi Clement made a lasting impact on everyone around him during his 20 years of life. The Gonzales man died in an early morning motorcycle crash in Prairieville on May 30. Now, those who knew and loved him most are remembering him as someone who could light up a room.
“He was full of life. He never met a person who was a stranger, and after you met him, you could automatically call him a friend,” Clement’s mother, Rachel Andres told UWK. “He was the light in every room, and I know a lot of people say that about their children, but that’s truly a true definition of Jacobi.”
Clement was a dedicated athlete, even spending time coaching kids.
“He wrestled for East Ascension High School, and was a state-placing athlete,” Andres said. “He was a mentor to other athletes as well. He coached club wrestling for smaller children. He helped and mentored so many children.”
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Since his death, people have been reaching out to Andres to share stories about her son, and the impact he left on them.
“You realize you raised a good kid, but then when you have all of these people who reach out to you to tell you stories,” she said. “I’ve had coaches reach out to me from out of state that I have never met before that are saying they met my son at a camp, and how wonderful he was. And parents have reached out and said, ‘Your son taught my son.’ It’s like, ‘Wow, even when he wasn’t around me he was still a good kid.'”
Clement’s life and dedication will continue to live on because he chose to be an organ donor.
“It’s something that he spoke about, so it’s something we were aware of,” Andres said. “He would always say, ‘I got a heart of gold.’ So whoever receives his heart, they’re very, very, very lucky.”
Some 200 people attended Clement’s honor walk on June 1.
“We had the hospital CEOs get involved, because they had so many people show up for this walk,” Andres recalled. “They had to reroute it, and we actually took two floors to accommodate all of the people who showed up for him.
The hospital called Andres after Clement’s surgery was complete, and told her all of his major organs, including his heart, lungs, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, and liver were all able to be donated.
“They found recipients for all of his organs within 24 hours,” she said. “He was able to save at least eight lives.”
Clement’s friends and family created a GoFundMe to help raise money for his funeral services. You can donate here.
Visitation for Clement is scheduled for Sunday, June 7 at Ourso Funeral Home on Airline Hwy. in Gonzales at 9 a.m. A memorial service will follow at 11 a.m.
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