Funeral services celebrating the life of Jerry Dale Hunter, Sr., 91, of Calhoun, Louisiana will be held at 11:00 A.M., Thursday, July 2, 2026, at Calhoun Presbyterian Church. Interment will follow immediately after at Delhi Cemetery, under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home, West Monroe.

The visitation will be held from 10:00 A.M. until the time of service.

Jerry was born on February 21, 1935, in Delhi, Louisiana and passed away on June 28, 2026, at his residence in Calhoun, Louisiana.

Jerry’s childhood was shaped by the warmth of a close‑knit family who lived and worked together on their farm just south of Delhi. Those early years rooted in faith, hard work, and deep affection became the foundation of a life defined by love of family, steadfast Christian values, and unwavering loyalty to friends. He carried those gifts with him for all of his ninety‑one years.

A proud graduate of Central High School in Franklin Parish, Jerry went on to study Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana Tech University. After serving two years in the Army, he returned to Tech to earn his Master’s Degree. His career began with Shell Oil Company, where he spent twenty years as an engineer, first in New Orleans, then Midland, and finally Houston. Jerry entered the industry just as computers were transforming the world, and he embraced the challenge wholeheartedly, helping engineer computer‑based production in New Orleans.

In 1978, when his mother Pauline shared that his father was retiring from farming, Jerry made a decision that spoke to his character. He left the corporate world behind and returned home to Franklin Parish to farm alongside his brother, Fred. It was a choice rooted in devotion to family first, always.

In 1981, Jerry married Joyce, beginning a beautiful forty‑five‑year partnership filled with faith, service, and shared joy. For thirty‑one of those years, they worshiped at Delhi Presbyterian Church, where Jerry served as both deacon and elder. He thoughtfully designed the renovation of the Delhi Pres Sanctuary and Reception Hall, leaving a lasting mark on a church he dearly loved. His commitment to community extended beyond the church walls—he served as president of the Richland Parish Library Board and contributed to both local and state Farm Bureau Boards. In their later years, Jerry and Joyce made their home in Calhoun, where they continued their tradition of hospitality, welcoming friends and church families just as they had in Delhi. They especially cherished traveling to watch their grandsons play football and baseball, cheering proudly from the stands.

Jerry was a true jack‑of‑all‑trades, blessed with both skill and creativity. At Calhoun Presbyterian Church, he handcrafted the communion table, Baptismal Font, and numerous other pieces each one made with care, reverence, and love. Music was another joy in his life. He adored classic and sacred music and faithfully sang in the Delhi Pres choir, offering solos and duets that touched many hearts.

His love for Central High School never faded. Even after its closure in 1974, Jerry worked tirelessly to ensure the school’s legacy lived on. He helped place a historical marker at the site and coordinated a “whole school reunion” for twenty‑three years, often drawing crowds of 200 to 300 people. As a teenager, he admired Mario Lanza and loved to imitate his powerful voice. In his senior year, Jerry performed “Old Man River,” and fifty years later, he was persuaded to sing it once more at a reunion his voice still strong, still full of heart.

Jerry also had a remarkable green thumb. For twenty‑five years, he farmed a wide variety of crops on the Central Farm. As a charter member of the North Louisiana Master Gardeners Association, he volunteered countless hours in Delhi and Calhoun, beautifying public spaces with flowers and teaching others—especially about roses, which he loved. His gardens were an extension of his spirit: patient, generous, and full of quiet beauty.

Jerry’s life was rich with purpose and devotion. He poured himself into the things that mattered most his family, his church, his community, and the beloved classmates and memories of Central High School. His legacy is one of kindness, service, and deep, abiding love.

He is preceded in death by his oldest child, Pamela Hunter Gomez; parents, Frederick and Pauline Hunter; sister, Margaret Hunter Steffenson; and special niece, Paula Neathery Byars.

Those left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife, Joyce; children, Jerry Dale Hunter, Jr. and Margaret Ann Vernon (Jon); stepchildren, Cindy Tassin and Mike Kyle (Elizabeth); son-in-law, Carlos Gomez; ten grandchildren, Sarah Hunter Cook, Leah Hunter Busby, David Vernon, Chelsea Vernon Butler, Robert Tassin, Joseph Tassin, Patrick Kyle, Alex Kyle, Claudia Kyle, and Edward Kyle; seven great grandchildren; brother, Fred Hunter (Joyce); sister, Joyce Neathery; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, loved ones, and special friends of the Calvert Crossing Bible and Prayer Group.

In lieu of flowers, memorials for Jerry may be made to Calhoun Presbyterian Church or Delhi Presbyterian Church.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Amaria Radobe, MDA, and Leslie Bourg, hospice nurse, for their compassionate care and support. Special thanks are also extended to sisters-in-law, Sharon Patrick and Joyce Ann Hunter, for their generous gift of time and their selfless service, love, and devotion over the past several weeks.

The pallbearers will be David Vernon, Robert Tassin, Joseph Tassin, Alex Kyle, Edward Kyle, Patrick Kyle, Sean Patrick, Wade Neathery, and Brent Neathery.

The honorary pallbearers will be Rev. Paul Lipe, Tom Redd, Jarred Casiday, Robby Tassin, Richard Norman, Kensil Brewer, Sven Eklund, Bill Crider, and Jim Brooks.

A sincere thank you is also given to Jerry’s children, Ann and Jerry Dale; Joyce’s daughter, Cindy; and her sons, Robert and Joseph Tassin, for setting aside their own responsibilities to be there and offer support to Jerry and our family.

Lastly, the family is deeply grateful to all the friends who visited Jerry, sent cards, texts, and food, and surrounded him with such an outpouring of love and kindness.