He is survived by his wife, Mildred Ridgway Wells, daughters Allison Santa-Cruz, 12, and Elizabeth Ridgway Wells, 6, all of Jackson; brother, Samuel Mack Wells, sister-in-law Mary Yates Wells, nieces Charlotte Rae Wells and Laura Kay Wells, all of Clarksville, MD; and his nephew Jeremy Cole Hayes of Portland, OR.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Horace Eugene Wells and Mary Elizabeth Chisholm Wells; his sister, Susan Wells Hays, and his first wife, Christina Loret de Mola Wells.
A lifelong resident of Mississippi, Stennis was born in Jackson and spent his childhood in both Jackson and Brandon. He transferred from Brandon Academy to Jackson Academy in eighth grade, where he remained throughout high school and from which he graduated in 1987. Some of his fondest memories were of his years at Jackson Academy, where he excelled in both football and baseball. He was proud to have been a part of the teams that won the AAA championships in baseball in 1985 and 1986.
He continued to play baseball at the college level, graduating from Millsaps College in 1991.
For nearly 20 years, he enjoyed a career as a sales executive for major pharmaceutical and medical device companies, most recently with Intuitive Surgical, before retiring in 2008 to devote more time to his family. The untimely loss of both his parents and his first wife shaped Stennis’ priorities, and he was committed to being a devoted husband and a “hands-on” father. He cherished every moment of his years with Mildred, Allison and Elizabeth, and they were among his happiest. He was both fiercely proud and protective of them.
Stennis was an avid outdoorsman and hunter who not only enjoyed hunting deer, turkey and ducks, but also had a deep respect for all wildlife, nature and the outdoors. He was a mentor to young hunters and had a unique rapport with kids, all of whom thought he was the “coolest.” He was an equally fervent sports fan, with a broad, almost encyclopedic, knowledge of sports facts and figures. He loved college football, thought the SEC was undoubtedly the strongest conference in the land, and was a long-suffering fan of both the Ole Miss Rebels and the New Orleans Saints. He thoroughly enjoyed getting to see both of his teams enjoy some long-overdue success.
Visitation begins Monday, Apr. 6, at 9:30 a.m. at St. Andrews Episcopal Cathedral in Jackson, followed immediately by the memorial service at 11:00.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the University of Mississippi Gyn Oncology Fund or the MS Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Foundation.
Partager l'avis de décèsPARTAGER
v.1.11.6