De'Marcus Lamont "Pookie", "Marc" Keene, Sr
May 24, 1981
Apr 29, 2023
De'Marcus Lamont "Pookie", "Marc" Keene, Sr, 41, of Louisville died Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Visitation 10-12 Monday, May 8, 2023 at Watson Memorial Baptist Church 7217 Nachand Lane. Funeral to follow at 12pm.
De’Marcus Lamont Keene, Sr., was born on Sunday, May 24, 1981, in Louisville, Kentucky to Tracy Smith & Priscilla Keene. He was their oldest child. De’Marcus was also blessed to have a stepfather, Hakeem Ariori who helped raise him. As a young teen he was adopted into the Williams family by Lavenia Williams. He gained sisters and brother, Moses Williams, III, and an array of cousins, uncles and family members.
Educated in the Jefferson County Public School system, De’Marcus found the perfect fit for himself with Youth Build-Louisville. As a student, he excelled in learning several trades, becoming certified in many areas of construction. He was always appreciative to Lynn Rippy, the Director of Youth Build, who saw a young man with potential and became a mentor, supporter, 2nd mom and a true extension to his family. He always said that Lynn Rippy, was the encourager that helped him develop into the man who can be trusted, have compassion, and a heart to help others. In fact, De’Marcus, who was in one of the first graduating classes of YouthBuild, would become the instructor and manager of Youth Build construction. The participants in the program were a part of his family.
De’Marcus Christian journey began when he confessed his faith in Christ and united with Christian Faith Band Tabernacle. His love for Christ was shown daily in the way in which he cared for others. He was the “go to guy” whenever anyone needed help.
Over 21 years ago, De’Marcus laid eyes on Kyia and the love story began. They survived puppy love, and true love that took them through the trials and tribulations of life. They weathered many a storm, and God kept them together. The two of them were inseparable, if you saw one, the other was not far off. Later they married and four children blessed their lives.
Focused and energized, De’Marcus loved music. He wrote, produced, recorded, performed and created his own label – Locced Out Entertainment. He was a hip hop and R&B artist. If that wasn’t enough, he created his own clothing (streetwear)and accessories line -Lamont Marco, he also had a radio program entitled, Street Culture Radio; and a podcast F1K2 (Father First, King Second). Always trying to make a positive impact within his community. With all this going on in his life, he was a carpenter, hands-on person, who loved to build strong foundations both literally and figuratively. He was a man that SHOWED UP and made himself available to help wherever needed. De’Marcus enjoyed playing street basketball in the park and was a strong adversary on the court.
On Saturday, April 29, 2023, De’Marcus Lamont Keene, Sr. departed this life. He is survived by his wife, Kyia Hemingway, children Demetria Keene, Kaden Lewis, De’Marcus Keene, Jr., Dylan Keene, parents Tracy Smith, Priscilla Keene, Hakeem Ariori; siblings, Hassan Ariori, Loraine Ariori, Joella Ariori, Benjamin Gates, Ta’Merrick Gates, Charlotte Henderson, Tamu Henderson; two special brothers from another mother, Marcus Davis, Moses Williams, III, and host of relatives and friends.