Bennie Cooley

Clinton E. Hart, M.D.

George W. Keller Jr.

Charles Ray McCann Jr.

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Bennie “Gene” Cooley

Bennie “Gene” Cooley, 68, of Rosepine, La., died Friday, July 26, 2019. Funeral service will be held Wednesday, July 31, 2019, at 10 a.m. at Christway Church in DeRidder, La. Burial will follow at Whitaker Cemetery in DeRidder, La.

Services are under the direction of Myers-Colonial Funeral Home in DeRidder, La.

Clinton E. Hart, M.D.

Clinton E. Hart, M.D. died peacefully at the Carriage House of Verandah on Wednesday, July 25th, one day short of his 101st birthday. Clinton was born on July 26, 1918, in Murphysboro, Ill., one of five children. His youngest sister, Mildred Hart Collins of Granite City, Ill., survives him. Dad completed his schooling in Illinois, including his medical degree, which he received from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1944. Soon thereafter, while training in Chicago, he met and married our mom, Margaret Henryson. After an internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, they moved to Herrin, Ill., where Dad began his career as a general practitioner, serving as a doctor to the coal miners. After a few years, Dad decided to specialize. He returned with his growing family to New Orleans where he completed his training in ophthalmology at Tulane University in 1953. His next move was to Bakersfield, Calif. It was on the trip from New Orleans to Bakersfield that the family drove through Lake Charles. Dad was captured by the beauty of the area, and when the chance presented itself, he moved the family to Lake Charles in 1956. For a time, he was the only ophthalmologist here. He would spend the next 42 years serving the people of Lake Charles as a physician. He retired at the age of 80.

Dad loved being an ophthalmologist. One of his greatest joys was helping people to see better because he so much enjoyed the beauty he saw all around him. He especially loved cataract surgery and was one of the first Lake Charles physicians to perform intraocular lens implants, the training for which he received in England.

Dad also loved flower gardening because the beauty of nature brought him close to God. He was a faithful Christian and taught Sunday school for many years. Church was important to Dad, and he made sure that his family went to church. Even in his last years, when his memory began to slip, he never forgot that Sunday meant church. Clinton and Margaret were married for 64 years. Dad really never got over Mom’s death in 2008, and would speak often of how much he missed “his beautiful Margaret.” Dad was very proud of his children and grandchildren and loved talking about them and seeing pictures of them.

Besides his sister, Mildred, he is survived by his brother-in-law, Arndt Braaten of Minnesota; his five children, William Hart (who practiced medicine with Dad and continues the practice Dad started), David Hart (Dale Daley), Barbara Hart Wyman (Bruce), Claudia Hart Boyer (James), John Hart; 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

A private funeral will be held at First United Methodist Church under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home of Lake Charles. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in his honor to First United Methodist Church, or to the McNeese Foundation for the Clinton Hart Nursing Scholarship, which he began.

The family would like to thank the many dedicated sitters who so kindly cared for Dad in his last years: Christy Johnson, Dawn Celestine, Angie Sovereign, Lenora Frank, and the late Veronica Latour.

In his declining years, Dad looked forward to the regular afternoon visits by family. At the end of each visit, Dad would ask, “Will I see you tomorrow?” To which we would reply, “See you tomorrow, Dad.” We will miss you. But we hope to see you tomorrow, Dad.

George W. Keller Jr.

A memorial Service will be held on Friday, Aug. 2, at 1 p.m. at La Chapelle de Martin & Castille for George W. Keller Jr., 78, who passed away peacefully at his home in Texas with family at his side. The family requests that visitation be observed in Martin & Castille’s DOWNTOWN location on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019, from 10 a.m. until time of services.

Pastor Randy Dugas, Pastor at Our Saviors Church, will officiate the service. Inurnment will be held for the family at the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church Mausoleum in Grand Coteau.

George was born on Feb. 20, 1941, in San Diego, Calif. He grew up in Lake Charles and studied Engineering at McNeese State University. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and held numerous positions involving aircraft maintenance, retiring at the rank of MSgt in the early 1980s. He also served in the Vietnam Conflict and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. After retiring from the military, he spent the next 30+ years working in the oilfield business. George loved music, the Dallas Cowboys, dancing and listening to music at VFW halls, being part of a band as the drummer, collecting and restoring Chevy Courvairs, building HAM radios and coaching his children in baseball. He was a man who could fix anything and was often working on something for someone. He enjoyed working on projects and enjoyed adding his personal improvements into everything he touched. He had a brilliant mind and was forever inquisitive.

Survivors include his four children, Brenda Keller Kovach, Susan Keller Bush and her husband Edward, James Keller and his wife Stephanie, and Beth Keller Mount and her husband Todd. He is survived by his siblings, Joy East and her husband Leland, Gwen LeBleu and her husband Ronald and John Keller and his wife Evelyn. George has twelve grandchildren, Jacqueline Hettich, Marguerite Bennett, James Keller, Alexander Plattsmier, Chelsea Keller, Zachary Keller, Meghan Bush, Emma Bush, Brianna Stringfellow, Matthew Bush, Adrienne Kovach and Brandon Stringfellow; and five great-grandchildren, Mayleigh Bennett, Ezekiel Bennett, Avery Plattsmier, Mary Elizabeth Savoie and Sieger Stone Bennett; as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George W. Keller Sr. and Maybelle Keller; and the mother of his children, Mary Elizabeth Keller.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to the staff of Affinity Hospice of Lufkin, Texas, especially Margaret Mahoney and Savanna Nelson.

View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com.

Martin & Castille-DOWNTOWN-330 St. Landry St., Lafayette, LA 70506, 337-234-2311.

Charles Ray McCann Jr.

Charles Ray McCann Jr. (Chuck) was born in Lake Charles, La. and lived most of his adult life in Westlake. He passed away after a long fight against brain cancer on Sunday, July 28, 2019 at his residence in Westlake surrounded by his loved ones.

Chuck graduated from LaGrange High School in 1993 and served for 7 years in the Army National Guard. At the age of 19, he met his future wife Charlotte at his sister’s birthday party. Their first date was at her house playing “Jeopardy” on the computer. He was impressed with her quick wit-he had no idea that she had played so many times that she memorized the questions. After dating for 4 years, they were married on July 4, 1998. They recently celebrated their 21st Anniversary with champagne and fireworks.

They welcomed their first daughter, Raeley Danielle, in 2001 and their second, Lori Grace, in 2007. His girls were his world, and he loved being their daddy more than anything. He was always there to make them laugh after a rough day at school or to be a shoulder to cry on. He worked 12 hour-shifts, but no matter what happened at work, he was always willing to dedicate his time to his girls.

Chuck had a wonderful sense of humor and used it frequently to make all his friends and family laugh. He would do silly things in the grocery store, like yelling along the words to whatever song was on the radio in front of everyone or holding two leaves of aloe on the sides of his head like antennae. He would tell ghost stories in front of fires, with the level of fantasy increasing with his level of intoxication. He also had a love of music, which he passed down to his girls. For years, he would wake them up for their first days of school by playing, “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley.

Chuck enjoyed welding and restoring old cars and motorcycles. He would stay out in his garage for hours, listening to Pink Floyd or Metallica, working on his newest project. He loved nothing more than driving around on a warm day in a topless Jeep. His final project was helping his father-in-law restore a 1970 Mustang convertible.

Chuck worked as a plant operator for nearly 20 years-first at CertainTeed and then at Sasol. He was an extremely hard worker, even working while receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He took great pride in providing for his family.

Chuck was kind to everyone he came across but treated his friends as brothers. He would want to specifically thank Mike Sweeton, Gabe Cormier, and Jason Abshire for years of always having his back and cold beers and cigars at the ready when he needed it. He would also like to thank Corey McCann, who was more of a brother than a cousin to him. He would send a big hug and a wink to his nurse Anne Marie with Heart of Hospice.

He leaves behind the three loves of his life: his wife, Charlotte and his daughters, Raeley and Lori. He also leaves a large extended family; his two sisters, Elizabeth Hargett and Ashlee McCann; his parents, Larry and Mary Ellen Landry; and his in-laws, Robert and Pam Robertson (known to his family as Pappy & Nanny); two grandmothers, Dolly McCann and Margie Chance; his niece, Emma Hargett and his nephew, Parker Hargett; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He was greeted in heaven by his father, Charles Ray McCann Sr.; along with several grandparents.

A Celebration of Chuck’s Life will be held on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019 at 5 p.m. at Hixson Funeral Home of Lake Charles. Visitation will begin on Thursday prior to the service, beginning at 3 p.m. until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, Chuck would like for you to make donations to Brennan’s Blessings or Colors for a Cause. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.hixsonfuneralhomes.com.