AMENDMENT NO. 4
                                    TO
                           EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


     This  Amendment  No.  4 to Employment Agreement is made as of the 25th
day of July, 2000, by  and between  Stewart  Enterprises, Inc., a Louisiana
corporation (the "Company"), and Lawrence B. Hawkins (the "Employee").

                           W I T N E S S E T H:

     WHEREAS, the Company has entered into an Employment Agreement with the
Employee dated as of August 1, 1995 as amended  by Amendment No. 1 dated as
of  January  1,  1997, Amendment No. 2 dated as of October  31,  1998,  and
Amendment No. 3 dated as of September 21, 1999 (as amended, the "Employment
Agreement"); and

     WHEREAS, the  Company  and the Employee have agreed to a change in the
Employee's bonus, effective November 1, 1999, as set forth herein.

     NOW THEREFORE, the Company and the Employee agree as follows:

     SECTION 1.  Except as expressly  amended  herein, all of the terms and
provisions  of  the Employment Agreement shall remain  in  full  force  and
effect.

     SECTION 2.   Article  II,  Section  2  of  the Employment Agreement is
hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:

          2. BONUS.  (a)  For fiscal years beginning  November 1, 1999, the
     Employee shall be eligible to receive an annual incentive  bonus  (the
     "Bonus") of up to $265,000 per Fiscal Year.  The Bonus will be awarded
     based  upon  factors  to  be  established annually and set forth in an
     annual supplement to this Agreement.

          (b) The Bonus shall be paid  in  cash  not  later  than  30  days
     following  the  filing of the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for
     the Fiscal Year in which the Bonus has been earned.

     SECTION 3.  Article  VI,  Section  2  of  the  Employment Agreement is
hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:

          2. NOTICES.  All notices hereunder must be  in  writing and shall
     be deemed to have been given upon receipt of delivery  by:   (a)  hand
     (against  a  receipt  therefor),  (b)  certified  or  registered mail,
     postage prepaid, return receipt requested, (c) a nationally recognized
     overnight courier service (against a receipt therefor) or (d) telecopy
     transmission with confirmation of receipt.  All such notices  must  be
     addressed as follows:

          If to the Company, to:

          Stewart Enterprises, Inc.
          110 Veterans Memorial Boulevard
          Metairie, Louisiana  70005
          Attn:  Chief Executive Officer

          If to the Employee, to:

          Lawrence B. Hawkins
          4414 Wildwood
          Dallas, Texas  75209

     or  such  other address as to which any party hereto may have notified
the other in writing.

     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to
be duly executed and signed as of the date indicated above.

                                   STEWART ENTERPRISES, INC.


                                   By:/s/ James W. McFarland
                                      ---------------------------------
                                               James W. McFarland
                                        Compensation Committee Chairman


                                   EMPLOYEE:

                                      /s/ Lawrence B. Hawkins
                                      ---------------------------------
                                             Lawrence B. Hawkins