Hasine Kamal "Kal" Kathey's Obituary
Funeral services for Hasine Kamal Kathey (Kal), 81, of Leesville, Louisiana will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, February 27, 2015, at the Family Worship Center in Leesville with Rev. Jim Thomasee officiating. Burial will follow in the Old Leesville Cemetery, under the direction of Labby Memorial Funeral Home of Leesville.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 26th, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Friday, February 27th, from 12 noon until time of service at the church.
Hasine Kamal Kathey (Kal), in the late evening of Sunday, February 22, seized the hand and promise of Jesus Christ, having run and completed the 81-year race marked out for him by his Savior and Lord. During his life here, Kamal used the talents and resources God gave him to worship Jesus and love and serve others.
Born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Kal moved to Shreveport with his mother and father in the 1940s. He graduated from Byrd High School and earned a Master of Music Degree from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches following four years of service with the U.S. Navy, Atlantic Fleet. But most importantly, he served Christ as a faithful and devoted son, husband, and father of four boys (Kevin, Shawn, Scott, and Brett). Kamal loved and adored his wife Joan from their first meeting in grammar school through 6 years of courtship and 59 years of marriage til she returned home to the arms of her Savior on her birthday in April 2012. He served God's family through gifts of help, prayer, treasure, and service in church leadership and musical worship. He supported and aided his wife's efforts to touch the lives of thousands of children and adults through classical dance instruction and performance, creating a family atmosphere at the dance studio of encouragement, love, and acceptance.
Kal (affectionately known as "Arab" to many of his fellow musicians and close friends) played percussion and enjoyed a lifetime of musical expression from the debut of his teenage band, the Dixie 6 to recent drumming with the Bob Phillips Combo at The Park Lane in Monterey, California. For nearly three decades, he arranged entertainment and respite for hundreds of thousands of Fort Polk soldiers preparing for war and spearheaded Army family housing and school development projects that have blessed soldiers and their families for many decades. Upon retirement from civil service in 1988, he helped with daily administration of the Joan Kathey Dance Center, working behind the scenes, literally and figuratively, in a multitude of roles from handyman to financial director. No job was too large or too small. As time advanced, his most satisfying pursuit was the comfort and wellbeing of his wife Joan. But he also shared a warm heart and gentle way with everyone.
Kamal's life was a life well lived and one for which his Heavenly Father can say, "Enter into my rest my son. You have been washed by the blood of the lamb and a faithful steward of that which was given to you. Receive my blessing and walk with me forever."
In lieu of flowers the family has requested that memorial donations be made to either the Family Worship Center, 601 E. Mechanic Street, Leesville, LA 71446; Holy Land Ministries, P. O. Box 503141, Indianapolis, IN; or Children of Promise International, 6844 Loop Rd, Centerville, OH 45459
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