Keith Stanley, a 2004 business graduate, died Tuesday afternoon after a year-long battle with cancer.
Stanley, a Bossier native, was a founding member of Kappa Sigma and friends and family described him as loyal, caring, energetic and loving.
Stanley was diagnosed with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, in November 2004 – a few months after beginning LSU Law School.
Beth Moore, Stanley’s sister, said throughout the year of treatment he received for the cancer he never lost his positive attitude.
“They could poke and stick him, and surgery after surgery, he was still smiling,” she said.
Stephen Baker, who met Stanley freshmen year, said Stanley was always thinking of others, even when he was in the hospital.
Justin Clark, who pledged Kappa Sigma with Stanley, described him as a sports enthusiast – a fan of tennis, golf, baseball, LSU football and hunting.
“We killed a lot of ducks and had a lot of good food and really enjoyed being out there,” Baker said. Moore said the family always gave Stanley a hard time for not walking onto the LSU golf team, and that he excelled at golf and tennis while he was in high school.
“He loved it at LSU. He loved the football games, and he loved the whole LSU experience,” Moore said. “And he made excellent grades while being down there.”
Baker recalled that Stanley had a yellow, long-sleeved polo shirt that he wore to every football game. He called it his “game day shirt.”
Baker said Stanley loved to read and kept up with politics, one of his passions.
“He had a great mind – very intelligent,” Baker said.
Baker said a normal weekend for Stanley included sitting around drinking a beer and visiting with friends.
“He loved playing poker,” Baker said. “He was the best poker player I’ve ever seen. [The weekends were] the guys hanging out, playing cards and watching Sportscenter,” he said.
Baker recalled attending at least 10 Pat Green concerts with Stanley, who was a big fan. Baker said they went to a concert every time the singer-songwriter played in the state, from Shreveport to New Orleans.
Stanley was forced to leave law school in November 2004 to receive treatment in Shreveport.
Moore said Stanley first became interested in law when he participated in mock trial at Airline High School in Bossier. He was a member of the first team to compete from Airline.
Jonathan Turgeon, a fraternity brother and friend of Stanley’s since kindergarten, said Stanley’s interest in politics furthered his decision to pursue law.
Clark said a practicing attorney and close friend of Stanley’s family had been Stanley’s role model. Stanley wanted to follow in his footsteps.
Kappa Sigma hosted a blood drive in September on campus to find a bone marrow transplant match for Stanley. Two matches were found, but Stanley was never healthy enough to receive a transplant.
There will be visitation at Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home in Haughton tonight at 5 p.m. The funeral will be Friday at First Baptist Church in Bossier at 2 p.m.
The family is asking instead of flowers that donations be made to a scholarship fund being established in Stanley’s name at the Law School. Donations should be made out to the LSU Foundation and denote it is intended for The Keith Stanley Memorial Scholarship.
 
Contact Ginger Gibson at [email protected]