Huey Thomas Kenmar

In Loving Memory of Huey T. Kenmar

Huey T. Kenmar, a man of profound resilience, melody, and a truly uplifting spirit, began his next journey on April 12, 2026. Born in Bay St. Louis on June 12, 1955, Huey’s life was defined not by the challenges he faced, but by the grace with which he navigated them.

After contracting Polio on his very first day of school, Huey faced a childhood marked by hospitalizations and surgeries. While the illness took away his ability to walk, it gave him the "downtime" to teach himself the guitar—a gift that would become his lifelong voice. From those early days, Huey cultivated an inner reserve of patience and a gentle strength that would eventually touch everyone he met.

A proud 1974 graduate of Bay High School, Huey later attended Pearl River Community College, where he served as a dispatcher for the County Sheriff’s Department. His passion for music eventually became his profession, a path that led him to the love of his life, Sherry. Married in 1990, the two became a literal and figurative duet, performing across the Coast, New Orleans, Texas, and California. For eleven years, they were a fixture at The Good Life, filling weekends with music. As Huey’s physical strength shifted, so did his ministry of joy; he and Sherry transitioned to hosting karaoke, where Huey’s encouragement helped hundreds of individual singers find their own voices and fostered a community of enduring friendships.

Hurricane Katrina eventually led Huey to Fayetteville, Georgia, where he stepped into perhaps his most cherished role: stay-at-home "PawPaw." He was the steady, loving heart of the home for Simon and Anise, teaching them by example what it meant to be patient and kind. Even then, Huey’s world remained vast; he was a vital voice in the Ham Radio emergency response network and a pillar of the local Baha’i community, where he served with deep devotion.

In 2022, life came full circle. Huey and Sherry returned to their beloved Mississippi Gulf Coast, moving into a home their children had lovingly bought and renovated to be a sanctuary of accessibility and comfort. Though his health declined, Huey’s spirit remained a beacon of light, continuing to uplift his family and friends until his final moments. On April 12th, with Sherry by his side, his spirit flew off to the Abhá Kingdom. He was laid to rest on April 14th at Bayou LaCroix Cemetery, surrounded by the laughter and stories of those who loved him.

Huey was preceded in death by his mother, Betty J. Garcia Jarrell; stepfather, Joseph Jarrell; father, Huey Kenmar Sr.; and brother, Dewey.

He is survived by his beloved wife and partner, Sherry Schwabacher; his brother, Louis (Donna); his daughters, Alicein Schwabacher and Bahiyyih (Jeff) Anderson; his granddaughter, Anise Anderson; and his grandsons, Simon Anderson and Ronan Chambers. Huey’s song has ended, but the melody lingers in every heart he touched.

Many thanks to his Deaconess home health team, his carers at Dunbar Village, and Vital Caring Hospice. We were truly blessed by all of you.