Earl Loyd "Hooper" Nealy

Funeral services for Earl " Hooper" Nealy, age 87 of Columbia and formerly of Franklin Parish, will be held at 5:00 PM, Sunday, October 5, 2025, from the sanctuary of First Baptist Church of Columbia with Bro. Bobby McGuire officiating. Longtime friend, Eugene Dunn will deliver the eulogy and Bro. Eric Harriman will offer a closing word of prayer. Burial will take place at the Burroughs Garden of Memories Cemetery, located on Highway 4 East of Columbia. The Nealy family will receive visitors from 4:30 PM until 5:00 PM at the First Baptist Church of Columbia.

Earl Loyd “Hooper” Nealy was born July 7, 1938, in Winnsboro, LA to the union of his parents, Joseph Phillip Nealy, Sr. and Edith Nell Nesbit Nealy, and he passed away peacefully on October 1, 2025, at Columbia, LA after a brief illness.

Hooper began his career as a firefighter with the Monroe City Fire Department in 1965, where he protected lives and property with bravery and compassion for 21 years. On his days off you would catch him working at a meat processing plant as a butcher, a trade he took great pride in mastering. He was known for his skillful hands, attention to detail, and dedication to quality. Even with his numerous career successes, he was most proud of being a gardener. He took pride in raising crops, tending to the earth, and sharing the fruits of those labors with family, friends, and neighbors.

Hooper lived a life completely connected to the outdoors. He found his greatest peace in the stillness of the woods during hunting season and the quiet rhythm of the water while fishing. He cherished the beauty of nature and the thrill of the catch. Hooper was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Jerry Annette Nealy; sister, Vickie Nealy Robinson and husband, Herbert Gene Robinson; and brothers, George Albert “Bo” Nealy, and Joseph Phillip Nealy, Jr.

Those left to cherish his memory include his oldest sister, Pattie Marie Kenney; his son, Steve Nealy (Connie); his daughter, Denise Kelly (Haley); grandchildren: Taylor Jameson “T.J.” Nealy, Nealy McCoy, and Randi Clair Kelly; great-granddaughter, Bella; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.