Funeral services for Louis Mendoza, 79, of Eagle Butte will be at 11:00 am (MT), Saturday, August 29, 2026, at All Saints Parish in Eagle Butte. Burial will take place after the lunch at the St. Theresa Catholic Cemetery in White Horse under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home. A rosary will be held at 7:00 pm (MT), Friday, August 28, 2026, at the church. Following the rosary will be a military roll call and an all-night wake. A procession will be leaving from the 4-mile corner at 6:00 pm, Friday, to the church. Louis passed away Monday, August 10, 2026, at Denver Hospice in Denver, CO.

Louis (Lou, Luigi) Jewett Mendoza 79 of Eagle Butte, South Dakota passed away on Monday, August 10, 2026 at Denver Hospice, Aurora, Colorado.

Lou was one of the older brothers in the Mendoza family. He served in the army as a military police officer during the Vietnam war, and was a proud veteran. He was most well-known for his athletic ability by his family and friends. He was an accomplished athlete. Many have said he was a natural on the basketball court, the tennis court, the softball field, and the golf course. When he was in high school, he played forward on the Austin High School Basketball team in El Paso, Texas. He received honorable mention for All State Basketball in Texas. He played basketball for Black Hills State College in Spearfish, South Dakota.

After college, he played independent basketball as one of the original members of the Ralph Macy’s Diesels an all Native American Basketball Independent team sharing the court with his brothers, Larry, Jesse, and Bobby. For many years, Lou was a member of the Coup Counters a Native American Basketball Independent team. Not only did he play basketball he also earned accolades as a golfer when he won the South Dakota Golf Association Senior Golf Championship. Among one of his many honors, he was inducted into the South Dakota Amateur Basketball Hall of Fame. An advocate for young athletes, Lou traveled many miles across South Dakota as a basketball referee and girls’ volleyball official. For many years, he was a basketball official for the Lakota Nation Invitational. He was a Cheyenne Eagle Butte Braves fan and attended many activities.

In addition to his athleticism, Lou was also an entrepreneur and had a head for business. He was the owner of the Red Mesa Environmental Company in Lees Summit, Missouri for many years. Additionally, he worked for the CRST Tribe as administrative officer during the Kevin Keckler Administration, and served as Director of the Brownsville Project. In retirement, he became a long-time substitute teacher for the Cheyenne Eagle Butte Schools.

He enjoyed spending time on the golf course with his sons Tony and Adrian. Beyond the golf course, Tony impressed him with his ability in the ring, and Adrian was his right-hand man. His youngest son, Gideon, made him proud on the basketball court. His nephews saw him as larger than life and considered him a hero. His nieces will always remember his laugh and the nicknames he bestowed upon them; there was always a story attached to the name. His family will cherish the many memories they shared with Lou. He was always ready to bring the past to life in a wonderfully embellished story with colorful insights of their lives together.

He is survived by his sons, Tony Mendoza, Adrian (Duwana Two Bulls) Mendoza, Gideon Mendoza, stepsons Rocklyn Lebeau (Vanessa), Echoe Johnson, and grandchildren Madison Mendoza, Kay Kquin Mendoza, Blake Mendoza, Sydney, Jordan, Addisyn, and Spencer LeBeau, his brothers, sisters and their spouses, Larry (Wendy) Mendoza, Jesse (Florine) Mendoza, Linda Hunter, Cindy (Dale) McCrea, Geri (Randy) Gutwein, Lily Mendoza, George Mendoza, Corina (Vernon) Robertson, Debbie Mendoza, numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his father Hilario Gonzales Mendoza, his mother Corine Jewett Mendoza, brothers Robert Ramon Mendoza and Ralph Gonzales Mendoza, stepson Heath (Brandy) LeBeau, his uncle Armando Mendoza, grandparents, aunts and uncles.