By Josh Beavers
These are always the toughest. I scarcely know where to begin when tragedies such as this strike. So, I guess it’s just best to start at the beginning. His mother named him Decari Tyree Markray and he was 20 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, and 5 days old.
And on Saturday morning, the Lord called him home.
Decari, a 2020 graduate of THE Doyline High School, was killed in a collision on Airline in Bossier City. The news began showing up in Facebook feeds an hour or so after the young man’s death.
And last night, the school he called home updated its social media page to inform the community at large of the tragedy and tell the world “Decari will forever be known as the DHS MVP.”
Dr. Grady Smith was Decari’s principal in junior high. He told us all how difficult it is to lose a student and shared a candid picture from 2014 when Decari and his friends were gathered in the office.
“All of these guys were in junior high, and I had to bring them in and go off about something,” he wrote and added a series of appropriate emoticons to illustrate the irritation at the time but also the fond memory that such an event tends to leave in the heart years later when the world has moved on and lessons from mistakes have been learned.
He spoke of Decari and pointed out a young man in a blue and red hoodie, khaki uniform pants, and charcoal gray sneakers.
“Decari probably didn’t say a word in that meeting,” Smith wrote as he remembered the young man as a quiet and thoughtful child. “I eventually left Doyline High, and those junior high kids grew up, became state champions and graduated. And Decari became a legend on the court that many will talk about statewide for years to come. As his principal, I can’t remember an ounce of trouble I had with him.
“His life just started,” he added at the end.
After graduation, Decari went on to the Cavalier basketball team at Bossier Parish Community College. His bio on the school’s website tells us that Decari was majoring in criminal justice.
That he played basketball, baseball and ran track for the Doyline Panthers.
That he was the District MVP, State Finals MVP, Parish MVP, First-Team All-Area.
That his favorite subject was math and he enjoyed listening to music and being with his friends.
That Dwayne Wade and Kevin Durant were his favorite athletes, and his favorite TV show was SpongeBob SquarePants and Spider-Man was his favorite movie.
That he wanted to earn a degree and make a difference in the world.
And that he was inspired by his mother.
His mother, Lakechia Markray, was as strong as one could be Saturday night as she grappled with one of the universe’s greatest injustices – when a parent outlives their child.
She said a lot on her social media page but one of the phrases that stood out from others was that her son was “loved my many.”
And that’s one of the greatest things social media has given us. For all the bad things that come with giving people instant access to the world and the ability to share their opinions and anger, our virtual society also gives us the chance to help one another, to lift those in need, and remember those who leave us.
That was Facebook all day and night Saturday, and that will be Facebook today and tomorrow and beyond as those who knew Decari share stories of good times, laughs, smiles, wins, losses, sadness, and love and of life. All the images that were burned into memory as one young man led his life and came into the stories of others doing the same.
Ricki Lunsford – “You shine, you lead, and you strive. That’s the kind of guy you were.
I just cannot believe I’m writing this.”
Unnika Miller – “Lord knows Decari was my brother, one who tried to shield me from making any mistakes, talking to no-good guys, or ever giving up on school or sports. He literally cheered me on and supported me from the sidelines to the stands to behind a screen when he couldn’t make it. Long Live A LEGEND! Forever our MVP! #12”
Megan Elizabeth James – “Students aren’t just people who fill desks. They are souls who fill our hearts. I will never forget his smile, his laugh, or his hugs.”
Decari is the son of Lakechia Markray and Eric Trimble. He has two siblings – Zahria Ware and Eric Trimble, Jr.
Arrangements are pending for Decari. The family has established a Go-Fund Me account to help offset the costs of his funeral. Details can be found on the Doyline Athletics Facebook Page.
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