Harry Neal Willett

Funeral services celebrating the life of Harry Neal Willett will be held at 2:00 P.M., Sunday, July 28, 2024, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home, West Monroe, with Rev. Melvin Fletcher officiating. Interment will follow immediately after in the Mer Rouge Cemetery, under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home. The visitation will be held from 12:00 P.M. until the time of service.

 Harry Neal Willett, 86, a native of West Monroe, LA and resident of Leesville, LA went home peacefully to our LORD on July 24, 2024, surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cancer.

 Neal was born on December 14, 1937, in West Monroe, LA, he was the son of Louis Carl and Mary Willbanks Willett.

 Neal enjoyed being with his family and friends. He had a lifelong obsession with electronics and how they worked. He served our country with distinction from 1960 to 1968 rising to the rank of Staff Sargent in the Army Reserve. He was a retiree of Chevron USA where he received many awards of recognition for services above and beyond his job responsibilities. Following his retirement from Chevron, he went to work as an electronics technician for Oceaneering International in Morgan City, LA where he wrote most of the training modules they continue to use today. He was also instrumental in building the ROV that explored the Titanic. In his free time, he loved to work with his hands and was a shade tree mechanic and made extra money by putting his electrician license to work on his days off by wiring new builds and working on other needs. 

 He was a square dance caller and dancer for many years. His passion, however, was his work with the Shriners Hospitals for Children. He was a long time Mason and served in the capacity of Master to Lafayette Lodge No. 87 in Patterson, LA. He was a member in good standing of Pickering Masonic Lodge No. 477 in New Llano, LA and a member of El Karubah Shrine in Shreveport, LA. He was a reserved deputy for the Vernon Parish Sherriff's office.

 Those left to cherish and treasure his memory include his loving wife of 63 years, Bonnie Shockey Willett; three daughters, Nancy “Kay” Willett Alleman (Ray) of Patterson, La, Mary “Beth” Willett Pitts (Thomas) of Leesville, LA, and Carrie “Katie” Willett Sedgwick (Shawn) of Carencro, LA. Neal always said 1+1= a lot as evidenced by his eight grandchildren, James Rogers (Lindy) Milian Town, HI, Amanda Domangue (Jacob) of Alexandria, LA, Casi Rogers (Robert) of Morgan City, LA, Samantha Edney (David) of Leesville, LA, Alexandra Mendoza (Robert) of Beaumont, TX, Rachel Adams of Patterson LA, Brandi Cowen (Tyler) of Leesville, LA, and Thomas Pitts II (Jessica) of West Monroe, LA, and seventeen great grandchildren. However, he was "Poppy" to many others whom he took as his own. He has one sister, Linda Guin of Jena, LA; brother-in-law, William Shockey (Stacey) of Baton Rouge, LA; sister-in-law, Wanda Langley Shockey of Jacksonville, AR.; and brother-in-law, Curtis Robert of Eros, LA; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

 He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis Carl and Mary Willbanks Willett; his parents in law, Lucian and Florence 

Hughes Shockey; two brothers, Robert Louis and Ray; four sisters, Elizabeth Docton, Letha Gregory, Rosemary O'Neal, and Dorothy Robert; four brothers in law, Lucian H. Shockey, Frank Docton Jr., William Gregory, Robert Guin and Allen O'Neal Sr.; sisters in laws, Donnie Willett, Ethel Willett, and Betty Shockey; nephew, Carl Willett; and nieces, Tracie Ann Guin Wilkerson and Marie O'Neal West.

 The family asked in lieu of flowers donations be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children in his memory.