Sgt. James David Eukel

   Born on August 22nd, 1992 in Slidell, La. to the parents of Donald D. Eukel Jr. and Tonya M. Edenfield-Eukel has infiltrated the “wild blue yonder” at the age of 25 on September 26th 2017 in Metairie, La. He is survived by his daughter, Hannah Grace Eukel, parents Don and Tonya Eukel, brother Joshua Dean, and future sister-in-law- Patricia Butler Berninger.
   Personnel craftsman, Honor Guard senior trainer, Staff Sergeant James David Eukel, his Paw-Paw’s namesake, aka: “Jamie”, “Maddog”, “Dennis-the-menace”, “Loverboy”, “Maverick”,” Chocolate puddin’ eyes”, “Milkdud”. Jamie is the most respectful, loving, and honorable young man a person could know. Born during Hurricane Andrew at nine lbs. 13 oz., he came into this world like a gentle giant- filled with both joy and mischief. A lover of sports- especially football, where he was crowned “Maddog”. He loved all his friends and would do anything for them; For this world was a stage in which he demanded the love and respect he gained from his peers- the audience. He was indeed a character who was challenged to rise above the many obstacles that preceded him. He led his platoon within the Louisiana Youth Challenge Program to their graduation- within which he battled his dyslexia, overcame, and exceeded the standard requirements of curriculum in only five months.
   Just as the ‘Dukes’ from “Dukes of Hazzard”, pushing the ‘General Lee’ to its limit, he would also push himself to go the extra mile, not often showing symptoms of wear and tear. He scored high to get into the Air Force, thus, sustaining a position in the Louisiana Air National Guard 159th fighter wing, in which yet another family, blessed by God would be surrounded by his guardian angels. “Loverboy” was filled with such pride upon his acceptance that, before basic, he chose to permanently sport the Air Force emblem on his forearm – for which he received not only flack, but a steady flow of monotonous/grueling projects such as: latrine detail, living quarters detail, kitchen duties and extra PT time; Upon the conclusion of which he would exclaim “Sir, Thank you, Sir!”
   He constantly recited the “Airman’s Creed’ while living by the Air Force motto “aim high”, and in five years time would become a Staff Sergeant for the Air National Guard as well as a respected leader of the Honor Guard – receiving several medals, certificates of accomplishments, and accolades for his pursuit of perfection. Beyond these medals and acknowledgements for his hard work, he also was chosen for an honorary ride in an F-15 Striker Eagle as part of a reward. It was at that point, standard operating procedure for the pilot to “…give ‘em as much as he could handle…”. Usually, this means flying at a maximum of mach 2, about 1,500 mph for normal passengers, however, “Milkdud” rode along for seven Gs and returned to the earth to let Dad know, “…I didn’t vomit, Dad…”, but of course “…my muscles hurt worse than basic.” This simply reaffirms his love for the thrill of doing everything better, faster and stronger than the average guy – while, at the same time, caching another’s lighter to smoke a joe and wearing fitted clothes and smelling fresh for the ladies.
   His personal life was met with much encumbrance: being the passionate, romanticist/perfectionist he was, he loved his baby girl Hannah Grace mercilessly. As his spirit looks down on us, we mourn the loss of his earthly presence while accepting that he is in the arms of Our Father and surrounded by his grandparents, aunt, and uncles. He now has peace of mind and reaches out to us – telling us to love hard and freely, to be excellent to one another, to be honest, loyal and true. He tells us to give ourselves freely, and not for selfishness; to show respect and honor in all that we do.
   Allow the Lord to shine His light and to guide our path and be given Love, Strength, and Mercy. Let us be thankful for the many blessings and memories of our time with James as we mourn his loss. We give a heartfelt thank you to our 159th Fighter Wing unit family for their support and compassion, beloved eternal friends who have been here for a shoulder to cry on, the Hood family and countless others for lifting us up in prayer in a time that will remain heavy in our minds and even heavier on our hearts.
   Through God’s Holy Spirit that fills our souls, may He bless each and every one of us all; May His heavenly son Jesus Christ comfort all of us during this time of sorrow and allow us all to be vessels for Him unto others when expressing Love and Loyalty to our brethren as Christ and His son James David Eukel would expect and demand of us 110% of the time. Amen.
Family and friends are invited to attend a funeral service at Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp, 1600 N. Causeway Blvd on Saturday, October 7, 2017 at 12 pm with visitation beginning at 10 am. Flowers as well as donations to assist with funeral expenses will be greatly appreciated. Condolences may be expressed online at www.tharpsontheimerfh.com. Information 504 835-2341