Martin "Marty" Hubert Mays

Marty Mays entered into eternal peace on October 23, 2019. Marty would be the first to request prayers of peace for his immediate family, his wife Shannon and his three boys, Corey, Aubrey, and Peyton, as they journey through the grief of the loss of husband and father. Born Martin Hubert Mays on February 24, 1963 at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, MS to Bill and Joyce Mays, Marty grew up in North Jackson playing baseball at Lake Hico park and swimming competitively at Valley North YMCA. The Mays family attended Bailey Avenue Church of God and later, Lakeover Church of God on Hanging Moss Road, where Marty enjoyed church youth activities.

When the family moved to Clinton, Marty went to Clinton High School, became a star pitcher, lettered four years in baseball, and was popular with classmates and a favorite of teachers. Marty was always smiling, fun-loving, and quick with a joke, tease, or prank. Poking fun was Marty’s life-long love language. His closest friends and his dear family can assure you, if he ever made fun of you to your face, this meant he loved you behind your back and in his heart. If he ever hid somewhere for the sole purpose of jumping out or grabbing you to scare you, well that was just for his enjoyment only, and was Marty being Marty. You could tell the joy that “messing with you” bought him from one look at the mischievous grin on his face. If every person he teased, jump-scared, pranked, or made laugh were to attend his funeral, the family would need a stadium.

Marty loved his sons and was a playful but firm father. He shared with them his love of sports and golf and life. He worked hard to provide for his family. He had two careers, one as a packaging plant shop steward, and later, as an insurance professional and agency branch manager. Marty worked in Byram, lived in Madison, coached little league in South Jackson, and was a fixture at JA sporting events in North Jackson. Seemingly everywhere at once, Marty was one of those special people that everyone seemed to know and everyone loved.

Marty was comfortable with all walks of life. He lifted up the humble and poked fun at the proud. He knew how to have fun at a ballroom dance at the country club or a bull ride at the coliseum. He was an excellent manager of people. He knew how to resolve conflicts. He was calm in a crisis. His counsel was a valuable commodity. His calm was contagious.

Marty’s best quality was his simplicity. He lived out a simple and solid faith in his Savior Jesus Christ. He walked by a simple set of unwritten life rules passed down from his father. His intelligence was sometimes under-estimated, but his wisdom could never be overstated. Marty loved his Lord, his family, and his life. Marty made life’s journey a more enjoyable trip for his travelling companions.

He was preceded in death by his father, William ‘Bill’ Hubert Mays, mother, Barbara Joyce Mays, grandparents, Hubert C. Mays and Oveta J. Mays, and grandfather, William H. Nowell. Marty is survived by his wife Shannon Mays; sons, Corey Mays (Caroline) of Brandon, MS, Aubrey Mays (Haley) of Madison, MS, and Peyton Mays of Madison, MS; granddaughter, Harper Joyce Mays; brother, Mark Mays (Laura) of Ridgeland, MS; grandmother, Bonnie Jean Nowell of Brandon, MS; uncles, Jerry Nowell (Beth) of Birmingham, AL and Mike Nowell of Brandon, MS; and bonus mother Yvonne Mays of Brandon, MS.

A visitation will be held Saturday, October 26, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Pinelake Church –Reservoir in Brandon, MS. A funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Floral Hills Cemetery in Pearl, MS. Pallbearers will be Chris Lovelace, Chuck Clarke, Matt Nowell, Zach Nowell, Rodney Russell, Stacy Beckwith, and Earl Hunt.