Clifton Faust, the beloved king cake decorator at Bywater Bakery, died this week at 55 after a six-year-long battle with skin cancer.

Faust was a New Orleans figure revered for his kind and gentle spirit, which left a lasting impact on coworkers, customers and the community of friends and family he left behind.

While he dazzled bakery shoppers over the last eight years with his beautiful king cake designs, Faust was an accomplished photographer, and his artistic endeavors spread far and wide across the city, from teaching kids to helping with Jazz Fest signs and even performing as a zombie at The Mortuary Haunted Mansion.

At 6’7”, Faust’s presence was impossible to miss, yet it was his generosity and warmth that defined him.

“He was a gentle giant,” longtime friend and Bywater Bakery o

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