Nolan Dustin Hastings

Services for Nolan Dustin Hastings, 31 of Mangham, LA will be at 11:00 AM Thursday, August 29, 2019 at Mangham United Methodist Church in Mangham, with Rev. Marshall Sevier, and Rev. Jimmy Wilkins officiating. Interment will follow in Gwin Cemetery, under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home in Rayville. Visitation will be from 9:00 AM till time of service on Thursday at the church.

Eulogy:
Today, we say goodbye to a son, grandson, cousin, friend and so much more to us all. He was in the prime of his life, full of love, laughter, and joy. We will forever remember Dustin as a friend to any and every one, a vibrant and loving son, and an energetic and spirit filled young man who was taken from us way too soon.
Nolan Dustin Hastings was born on May 25th, 1988 and passed away at his home on Friday, August 23rd, 2019. He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Will Henry Hastings. He is survived by his father, Nolan Hastings of Mangham, LA mother Veronica Duchesne of West Monroe, LA grandmother Hettie Anne Hastings of Mangham, LA and Grandparents Vernon and Barbara Duchesne of Hebert, LA, Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Trent Drain of Delhi, Aunt Windy Ann and Uncle Dewayne Glass of Rayville, LA, Aunt Valerie and Uncle Jason Bowman of West Monroe, LA and a host of cousins, family, and friends.
He graduated Mangham High School in 2006 and went on to earn his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from ULM in 2009. Dustin was very proud of his scholastic achievements.
He was always learning, and he looked forward to honing his knowledge and skills, be it for work or just for him to know more. He always wanted to seek more knowledge. He never discontinued trying to broaden his horizons. His favorite books were the Bible, Outdoor Publications, and he still occasionally got a laugh from Cat in The Hat. He also loved a good movie, and he could memorize a line from any of them. Dustin loved music as well. He was always playing a good country or Rock and Roll song, and he knew the old gospel songs as well. Needless to say, he was well rounded.
Dustin was employed by Nabors Drilling, and was very enthusiastic and hardworking. He loved his job, his co-workers, and he looked forward to moving up in the company. His work allowed him to travel, and he never complained about it. Dustin was always busy, a man in constant motion. When Dustin was not working, he could be found doing any and everything outside. He was not a lazy fellow, and he always found himself busy, working in the yard for his grandmothers, helping his grandfather with farm chores, working on his truck, shooting his gun or beginning a new project he came up with.

He was an avid outdoorsman that loved to hunt and fish. He was always planning for the next big hunting season, and how he was going to make the next year better than the last. When it came to fishing, whether it was frogging, yo-yoing or rod and reel fishing, he knew the best spots for all of them, so if he took you there you were considered lucky. If he said he killed it or caught it, he really did, unlike most hunters and fisherman. He loved everything about the outdoors, and all the things it involved. He loved sitting around a bonfire, riding a back road, or just sitting by the water and enjoying God’s handy work.
Dustin also loved the beach. He looked forward to planning a beach trip, and he often told his friends when he retired he was going to buy some ocean front property, mainly so he could just relax, do some salt water fishing, and enjoy God’s creation. He loved the mountains as well, as he had said many times that he was going on another ski trip, he loved the last one so much.

Dustin was the kind of guy that everybody really wanted to be. He was loved by everyone, and never had a bad word to say about anyone he met. He never encountered a stranger, and he always found the good in everyone he met. Dustin had many friends, and he was always willing to make a new one or help an old one if need be. He could usually never be found alone, or without someone on their way to see him so they could have a good time just hanging out, visiting, and sharing lots of laughs throughout the day or night.
Dustin was the kind of friend we should all strive to be. He never walked around complaining, and things that could get anyone else down or set them back made him want to strive harder to be better. His spirit of resilience and good humor would follow Dustin throughout his life, and those that knew him best were always greeted with a big hello, followed closely by that smile and laugh that we will miss so much.
He was always just a phone call away, and in a moment’s notice he was willing to drop whatever he was doing to help anyone that may be in need or just need to talk. He was compassionate, joyful, and honest. He may hurt your feelings, but if you asked him a question you knew you were going to get his honest opinion, no matter what you may have thought of it. He expected the best, and he gave it. He had an inherent ability to listen when there was a problem. To absorb and offer a point of view that you would appreciate.
Many people would tell you that he was an important figure in their life. Dustin taught us what it meant to be a wonderful son, grandson, cousin, and friend. He was firm in his principles, and he loved the Lord. He encouraged many, tested our patience, but in the end he always responded to you with his greatest gift he ever shared, the gift of unconditional love. He taught us that a good day should never be wasted, a bad day should never get you down, and that you should always love what you are doing, whatever you are doing.
To his family and friends, he was as close to perfect as he could be. Dustin, we are going to miss you. Your graciousness, sincerity, and your kind soul will live on with us forever. Through our tears and our grief of losing you, let us be reminded of the good times, the blessings of knowing you, and loving you. What a great and noble young man, the best son, grandson, cousin, and friend any of us could ever have.
Pallbearers are: Jonathan Stephen Dean, Sr., Matthew Hollis, Mitchell May, Shelby Ray Reader, Joseph Roger Fandal, and Stephen Whitlock.
Honorary Pallbearers are: Joseph Ryan Glass and co-workers of Nabors Drilling.
Memorials may be made to Mangham United Methodist Church Blanket Ministry, or to the charity of your choice.