Wilfred Savoie Jr. was born August 1, 1925 and raised in Cankton, Louisiana, a village in St. Landry Parish. He was one of four children born to Wilfred Savoie, Sr. and Rose Miller Savoie. On October 14, 1943, Savoie was ordered to report for induction into the United States Navy, where he served from October 25, 1943 to May 17, 1946. He was stationed in California (first San Diego and then Los Alamitos), where he trained to become a pharmacist and worked in a Naval hospital and dispensary. His older brother, Alexander William Savoie was a member of the U.S. Army Air Forces Technician Fifth Class. He was captured by the Japanese and forced in the Bataan Death March. After hearing news of his death, the Savoie family sought to get Wilfred Jr. discharged.

On May 17, 1946, Savoie received an honorable discharge from the Navy with the ranking of Pharmacists Mate, Second Class, USNR SV-6. He returned to Cankton and married Gertrude Miller in 1948; they had three children. He would go on to work for Superior Oil Company for thirty-seven years until his retirement. He passed away on April 6, 2011 at the age of 85.