Earnest Earl Hegwood Jr, also known as BEAR, was born August 18, 1957, parents were the late Earnest Earl Hegwood, Sr. and the late Lillie Mae Whittington-Hegwood. He departed this life on Monday, July 20, 2020 at Tulane Regional Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Earnest Jr. attended school in Natalbany, LA.  He later decided to work and make a life for himself. In doing so he became a great cook. He learned to mimic his mother's famous potato salad recipe. Ernest Jr. feared the Lord and in his adulthood; he accepted Christ as his personal Savior.  He became a faithful member at Universal Church of Deliverance Baptist Church; under the leadership of Bishop Larry Rheams, located in Independence, LA. He LIVED life. He LOVED life. He never met a stranger. Everyone he met he graced them with a BIG BRIGHT SMILE. His personality was very loving and forgiving. There was never a dull moment. He was the life of the party and had plenty stories to share. His favorite past time was watching tv, sitting outside, and his favorite thing to do was eat a 10pc from Churches or a bucket of fried chicken from KFC and washing it down with pitchers of water.

On September 6, 2008 he married, Hazel Rockingham-Hegwood, they lived in Natalbany, Louisiana until his health started failing and he became a resident of Hammond Nursing Home, in Hammond, LA. He is survived by his wife, Hazel Hegwood of Crystal Springs, MS, siblings: Tysonia (Randolph) Alexander of Franklinton, LA; Shawn (Koran) Young of Olive Branch, MS; Loretta (James) Earl of Hammond, LA; Marilyn Selders of Independence, LA; Angela Lewis, Shelia Hartzog, Rudy Young all of Wiggins, MS; brothers-in-law: Jerome (Vanessa) Rockingham, Bennie Rockingham and Billy Reese of Mississippi; sisters-in-law: Barbara (James) Miner, Patricia (Matthew) Johnson and Alice Williams all of Mississippi; aunts: Mable Whittington of Oakland, CA, Virgin (his godmother) Whittington-Warren and MauriAnn Whittington-Corbin, of Natalbany, LA; Mildred Whittington, of Hammond, LA, Yvonne Hegwood-Holmes, of Greensburg, LA; Beverly Hegwood-Williams, of Hammond, LA; one uncle: Alex (Mavis) Hill, of Hammond, LA; along with a numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of dear friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Earnest Earl Hegwood, Sr and Lillie Mae Young, his step-father, Willie Young, Sr, his maternal and parental grandparents, one sister, Milbert Hegwood, four brothers, Otis Young, Willie Young, Jr, Dexter Young and Larry Young, and other family members.