Class of 1986

[shane]

We've lost Darius Coleman, Maurice Shoultz, Kevin Taylor and Angela Hossley... that we know of.

I counted them all friends at one time in my life or another. Darius and Maurice and I grew up together. Kevin and I got to be friends after high school. I hadn't seen Angela since school.

I miss them all.

Shane

[JonBarton]

Shane, thanks for posting that About Michael Webb. He was one of my best friends in the 9th grade. I still wonder why he had to leave us. His death was a defining moment in my life.

What happened to Darius? How and when did he die? He was such a sweet and gentle person, a good friend from 5th grade till we graduated.

JonB

[shane]

Michael's death was a defining moment for all of us that lived through it, Jon. I've seen it happen too many times over the years and I still don't understand why they felt there was nothing left for them.

Darius got caught up in things some of us played around with, but eventually, most of us moved away from. We fell in and out of touch over the years and a couple of years ago he started to turn his life around. Went back to school, moved away from here and a lot of the things that were holding him back.

A few months before he died, he started calling people, trying to reconnect. He and I played phone tag for a while, but never did hook up. The abuse he'd put himself through caught up to him and, basically, his respiratory system gave out on him.

I've got his obit around here somewhere; I'll post it when I dig it up. Says he had a couple of kids that live here in Madisonville.

Shane

[Angie]

I was one of the lucky ones who received one of those calls from Darius before he died and I am really thankful. He tracked me down in Kansas in the Spring of 1994.

Shane, I did not know about Angela...when did she pass and do you know what happened? Anyone have a pic of Maurice, Kevin and Angela to post?

[shane]

I don't know what happened to Angela. She died before 1996, though. She and Maurice were the only two we'd lost at the 10-year reunion.

I'm working on pictures of Angela, Maurice and Kevin

Shane

[ccoopermetz]

Kevin's widow teaches at Abita middle. She might be able to provide a picture. I didn't know about Angela either. From the class of 85 I think jack fabre died a few years back. I remember him from pitcher.

[phil]

This made it to me when Darius died. Shane, I think you were the originator.

[mark]

I counted Darius as a friend at Covington Elementary in the 2nd grade. I was new and he was nice to me so that was enough. I moved away and never really got to know him, but he is forever part of my memories at WP and Covington High. I remember Maurice. I'm not sure on Kevin Taylor and I vaguely remember Angela Hossely. I think I ran track with her brother Nathan?

A changing world is difficult to accept. Just knowing someone is still around is a comforting thought. A little less comfort from the world now...

[shane]

I talk about this until people are probably sick of hearing it, but my favorite memory of Darius will always be the faces he would make while I was trying to drink from the water fountain at Covington Elementary. Every time I'd try to drink, he'd get in my face with that big grin of his and say "Is it good?? Is it good??" Somehow, he'd duck out of the way before I'd spit that water everywhere.

[jnichel]

Kevin Taylor? Red hair, Ag/FFA?

[shane]

Angela, Maurice and Kevin

Shane

[Julie Mathies]

I, too, did not ever know what happened to Angela. Tracy Gallo works with me, and I asked her just the other day.

Angela had Breast Cancer. Tracy said that she had been through Chemo, and just 1 week before she passed, was told that she was in remission.

Evidently, by the time Angela was diagnosed, it was too late. Tracy said that Angela had some stressful things happen in her personal life at that time as well, so maybe the heartarche took a toll on her.

So, let's all remember Angela, during October especially, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

She'll be missed.....

[jnichel]

Wow. That's who I'm remembering as Kevin Taylor. Funny, I haven't thought about him in years, but considered him a pretty good friend in high school. We used to challenge each other to see who could get Bill Lambert to curse at us first. We used to show livestock together (he raised sheep, and I hogs), work the FFA plant sale together. I haven't thought about this stuff in years; don't know why. Does anyone know what happened to him?

[Julie Mathies]

I know that it was a very tragic, freaky accident that happened on the job. Shane or Dennis Nickens could probably offer more details, but if I remember right, I think there was an explosion, and he was burned???

Shane, do you know the details?

[shane]

Yeah, it was a freak accident at the Murphy Oil plant in Chalmette. Explosion, fire... you know what happened.

A bunch of us took a trip to Ship Island years ago and Dennis Nickens brought Kevin along. I'd never spent a lot of time talking to him but that day we talked all day. He was pretty down because he and his wife were splitting up and he worried what it was doing to his daughter. Just kept talking about her (his daughter) all day. The trip did him good and his spirits were better by the time we came home, but he couldn't stop talking about her.

I mourned for the loss of my friend when I found out, but my heart broke knowing that his little girl had lost her dad that loved her so much. She was everything to him. I often think of Kevin when I'm with my little girl and hope she knows how very much I love her.

Shane