Darrin Jay Loudermilk

Funeral services for Darrin Jay Laudermilk will be held Thursday, August 7, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. at Brown’s Funeral Chapel in Coalgate with Prentiss Reves officiating. Burial will be in Byrd’s Prairie Cemetery with Brown’s Funeral service in charge of arrangements. Darrin Jay Laudermilk was born August 2, 1959, in Dallas, Texas, and passed away July 19th, 2025, at the age of 65 at his home in Wickes, Arkansas.

Called “Cowboy” in his younger years, he rodeoed and won many buckles and awards for bull riding. He served in the Air Force, enlisting shortly after graduating high school in Maud, Oklahoma. He also attended School in Terrell, Texas.

After being discharged from the Air Force he began bull riding while working and continuing his education with the Plumber & Pipefitter’s Union Hall out of Oklahoma. Following in his Dad’s footsteps, he traveled as an apprentice in various towns. In his mid 20’s while staying with his grandmother, in Midlothian, Texas, he met and married Rhonda Davis. They settled in Italy, Texas moving to North East Texas and parts of Oklahoma later on. Together they raised their daughter Brandle and son Justin aka Buddy. They were married 20 years and remained close friends until he passed. It was soon before the birth of Buddy, he began attending church. His faith and love for God and his family is where he was most happy. Darrin was always interested in obtaining knowledge and continued many classes as an adult on many subjects during his lifetime. He obtained his ministers license and started attending prison ministry with his dear brother in Christ and friend, Phillip Taylor. He always had a heart for the broken and downhearted. He officiated many funerals, giving the family comfort, peace, and smiles. Not everyone understood his dry humor but he was always the jokester. Many didn’t know he wrote poetry and loved art. A country boy at heart, he enjoyed camping, fishing and a quiet life during his later years. He traveled and helped many small churches both financially and physically doing whatever was needed often many times before it was asked. His faithful tithes and offerings to so many churches will sew seeds for years to come. Full of charity and empathy for the homeless, poor and prisoned, he continued to help everyone he met even the last day of his life. His contributions in his life, too much to list, will long be remembered.

Darrin had many scars and lingering pain from the years of physical toll the rodeo and tough living from oil fields, pipelines, welding and industrial refrigeration took on his body. Yet even up until his death he refused to stay down. Much like the bull rider from his younger years, he’d stay with whatever he was tackling with an unmatched Tenacity. Darrin is preceded in death by his brother Jay French of Midlothian and brother-in-law Dean Lay as well as nephew Ryen of Seminole.

Casketbearers will be Justin “Buddy” Laudermilk, Prentiss Reves, jackson Clark, and Trey Reves.