Enrique Keith Hootsell

Funeral services for Mr. Enrique Keith Hootsell, 57, of Downsville, LA, will be held at 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, November 26, 2024, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home Sterlington Rd. Monroe with Rev. Clay Causey officiating. Interment will follow in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 12:00 P.M. until service time at the funeral home. 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Enrique Keith Hootsell, affectionately known as Hoot, Hootie, or many other colorful names. Keith was known for his sometimes, wild adventures, we will call them. He was hardheaded, ornery, and had a tough exterior. But he had a huge heart, and he loved his friends and family. He knew how to make you laugh, but he also knew how to make you madder than a hornet. And those that knew him understood that this was simply part of his charm. 

Enrique Keith Hootsell died on November 22, 2024. He died peacefully and he can now rest in the arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Keith was born in Monroe, LA, on March 24, 1967, to his mother, Cherie Wheeler, who was by his side when he passed. He spent most of his childhood with his grandmother, Ethel, who loved him immensely. 

Keith lived life on his own terms, embodying the spirit of a true outdoorsman. His passion for the outdoors was evident in his love for hunting and fishing. He spent his entire life in the woods or on the water. These things brought him immense joy and peace. Even up until his last days, he talked about going deer hunting. He would say “If it’s brown, it’s down!” He would shoot just about anything and sometimes he would surprise his friends with a little friendly fire of buckshot spray. He worked hard and he played hard. And sometimes that got him in trouble. 

Though Keith never had any children of his own, he considered all his friends’ children his. He fondly called them his nieces, nephews and grandbabies and even had nicknames for all of them and left a lasting impression on all of them. Keith and his friends were practically inseparable throughout their lives. From duck hunting, fishing good times and bad they stuck together through it all. 

Keith was a talented carpenter and could build just about anything. He worked for Lockwood construction in his early life but spent most of his career working on pipelines all over the country. This is where he met and made so many special friends over the years. 

His greatest love was his dog, Sissy Girl. We can all hear him saying, “Well I’m just sitting here with Sissy Girl and about to go pick up sticks.” His memory will live in the hearts of all those who loved him. 

Keith was preceded in death by his grandparents, Ethel and Keith H. Hootsell; father, Bearl Wheeler; and aunt, Sandra Walker. 

Survivors include his mother, Cherie Hootsell Wheeler; brothers, Jonathan Wheeler and wife Autume, Larry and Will; sisters, Vanessa Wheeler and Rebekah Wheeler Cook; uncle, Bobby Walker; and cousins, Chad Walker, Courtney Walker Ebersole, and Christy Walker McCarty.

Pallbearers will be Jimmy Cerda, Tony Trichel, Ray Allen, Ronnie Lockwood, Jayson Craft, Kevin Barkley, and Justin Crenshaw.