Deymiun Rondell Neal

Scooby’s Story

Deymiun Rondell Neal aka ”SCOOBY”, was born January 24th 1976 to the proud parents of Carolyn Jean Mahaffey and Michael George Sr. (who preceded him in death). Deymiun took on the nickname “Scooby” which he was given by his grandmother (Big Mama). It stuck with him through life. Scooby grew up in South LA where he attended Lauren Miller Elementary. 

Scooby was an active young boy. From jumping off rooftops, breaking his arm, to flipping in beds, and even burning kitchen curtains, he was a handful. Scooby learned the concept of working at a very young age. At only 7-8 years old, he worked at Harvey's fish market on the corner of 77th and Hoover, bringing food home for his services. From helping people with their grocery bags to pumping gas, he tried his best to be of help to his family. Scooby would leave school and shoot dice coming home with a pocket full of money. His Mom would ask him where he’d been and his response was, “I made a stop along the way.” He did what he had to do to survive and despite all these hardships his roots were grounded in Church and knowing Jesus Christ. 

After taking a slight vacation from 18 to 25 years old, Scooby decided to move to Antelope Valley, where his grandmother, sister and Auntie had relocated. It was here he met the Love of His Life. After months of trying to be more than just friends, they finally began to date in April of 2002. And in August of 2002 he decided to get his 1st tattoo, “Sonia” across the side of his neck. He said he did it because they would be together forever, two months later they were married, and he took on the role of Dad to her young son William Boyd. Nine months to the date of their actual honeymoon, he was delighted to welcome his baby girl, Jada Dejanae Neal. Then 18 months later, his son Deymiun Rondell Neal JR. 

Scooby swore he was going to be a present father and a good husband. And every single day, he kept that promise to his wife, and his children. From changing diapers daily, to airplane rides, and school drop offs and pickups, Scooby was a constant presence every single minute of their lives. Never missing a choir performance, a football game, or a school play, he made sure he was present for it all. Family was important. He showed up for nieces, nephews, and little cousins alike. For graduations, birthday parties, everyday gymnastic practices, or just because, He always made sure he was there.

Once the kids got older, Scooby started working at Lance Campers, then moved on to Traffic Control, a job he loved to do. He was proud of being a provider. At work, he developed great relationships with not only the guys he worked with, but their families too. From trips to Las Vegas, Mexico, or Hawaii, to married couple’s night, double dates, comedy shows, backyard parties, Halloween haunts, and casino runs, he made sure he had a good time with everyone. Weekends were spent having family dinners with his grown children and singing karaoke in his famous Barry White voice to his signature song - “Practice what you Preach”. 

If you knew Scooby, you knew his daily routine. Work, stopping at the store for some lotto tickets, and grabbing a Twisted Tea. Along the way, he would make his rounds to say “hey” to family and friends on his “route”, making sure to be home in time for dinner and a good smoke. But what you may not have known, is the cup of coffee he left on his wife's night stand every morning before he left for work. Or that he would never leave the home without a kiss and a “I love you, be right back”. Or the 10 phone calls they would make back and forth just to touch base or share a juicy piece of gossip. You may not know the multiple FaceTime calls with his daughter and Mom throughout his day. You may or may not know about the backyard parties, or the quiet times around the firepit, when he and his wife would reflect on how far they had come. He would complement himself saying that we “Did good”. That he's a present Dad, had great kids, that He’s been a loving husband, a wonderful son, a new grandfather, an official law-abiding, tax paying citizen… He was so proud knowing that He “did good”. That He broke stereotypes. 

On October 12, 2024, Deymiun was called home to be with the Lord. I truly hope He knows - He didn't just do good, He did great.