Marjorie Wild Selvidge

Marjorie LaFerre Wild Selvidge, 83, of Oxford, Mississippi, died Monday evening, April 28, 2025, surrounded by her family. Marjorie was the daughter of Bob and Lila Wild of Huntington, West Virginia, where she was born and raised. She married Roy Selvidge of Greenville, Mississippi on September 12, 1964. She is survived by her husband of almost 61 years, her sons, Roy (Sarah) and Marshall (Martha), and three granddaughters, Carolyn, Mary Katherine, and Rowan.

In addition, she is survived by her three siblings, Bob Wild (Pam), Martha King (Michael), and Rebecca Wild (Brad Miller), as well as a host of nephews and nieces.

Marjorie graduated from Southwestern at Memphis College (now Rhodes College) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, where she met her husband, Roy. While at Rhodes, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, Pi Intersorority, and the Women’s Undergraduate Board. She also served as a student counselor, a Freshman Orientation Seminar Leader, and the President of Publications Board on the Student Council. In addition, she was selected for Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges.

In Oxford, she worked for a number of years as an Interior Designer, authoring Enabling Products: A Sourcebook, a guidebook on universal/handicapped design, and collaborating on Building For A Lifetime, a resource for the early days of universal design.

Having taught school shortly after graduation from college, she returned to her love of childhood education, teaching art at Oxford Elementary School from 1995 to 2010. During this time, she was named 2002 Mississippi Art Education Association Elementary Educator of the Year in recognition of her commitment to teaching.

In 2003, she was an advisory committee member for the Mississippi Visual and Performing Arts Framework for the Mississippi Department of Education, setting the ground-breaking standards for arts education in the state. She proudly worked to further the arts in Oxford and Mississippi as a board member of both the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters. She was also a long-time member of the Women’s Book Club of Oxford.

Loved by all who knew her well, Marjorie’s favorite places were the beach and the mountains. She shared her love of art and architecture with her family, taking them to numerous museums and historic houses. A consummate hostess, who loved to entertain, she was a gifted cook who could blend ingredients to create wonderful dishes, many of which are still enjoyed today. She doted on her granddaughters and loved to create art, as well as have tea parties with them.

Marjorie will be greatly missed, but her light will continue to shine. As a friend once said, “When she smiles, it lights up the room.”

A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Oxford at 1 pm on May 24th, 2025.