He was born in Philadelphia, MS, Jan. 23, 1923, to Ora Mae Murphy Blount and James Wilson Blount. Clyde graduated from Arlington High School in Neshoba County and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agronomy and soils from Mississippi State University. Clyde also attended East Central Junior College in Decatur, MS, where he met Maud M. Massey. They married on March 26, 1945, and had 71 years together before her death in 2016.
Clyde served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and flew 50 missions from August of 1944 to March of 1945 with the 463rd Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, based in Foggia, Italy. He was a gunner and flight engineer on B-17s, primarily on the Raidin’ Maiden, and attained the rank of tech sergeant.
He was a research agronomist with the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, MS, and then managed the Pearl River County Farmer’s Cooperative there. Clyde then worked for MFC Services as a regional chemical salesman based in Pineville, LA, and at the Jackson, MS, MFC headquarters as a district manager covering Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Clyde was a Charter Member and Inaugural President of The International Association of Lions Clubs in Poplarville, MS. He was especially supportive of The Mississippi Lions All-State Band.
He loved hunting, fishing and growing vegetables and flowers. He meticulously mowed and raked his lawn until age 94. He and Maud were faithful members of First Baptist Church of Pearl and between them together taught Sunday School for over 100 years there and at previous churches.
Clyde is survived by two daughters, Melanie B. Smith (Mark) of Decatur, AL, and Dr. Linda J. Blount of Corinth, MS; a daughter-in-law, Margaret W. Blount of Mendenhall, MS; one sister, Eva Mae Blount Little (Loyd) of Decatur, MS; four grandchildren, James L. Blount (Michelle) of Marietta, GA, Staff Sgt. Timothy W. Blount of Virginia Beach, VA, Lauren P. Smith of Decatur, AL, and Andrea S. Corbitt (John) of Auburn, AL; and six great-grandchildren, Genesis, Shanah, Jericho and Gabriel Blount, all of Marietta, GA, and Ally and Jackson Corbitt of Auburn, AL.
Clyde was preceded in death by his wife, Maud, his son Alan W. Blount and by brothers James Atlas Blount, Travis Monroe Blount, Charlie Wilson Blount and infant Prentis J. Blount.
Funeral services for Clyde will be at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl, MS, Saturday, August 17, at 2 p.m. Visitation will be at the funeral home prior to the service, Saturday, noon to 2 p.m. Internment follows at Floral Hills Memory Gardens, Pearl, MS.
Rev. Scott Crawford and Rev. Tim Black will conduct the service. Pallbearers will be James Blount, Timothy Blount, Eddie Mitchell, John Corbitt, Scott Bridges, John Grant, Buddy Moody and Mark Smith. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Hope-Andrew Sunday School Class, First Baptist Church, Pearl.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Pearl, 405 North Bierdeman Rd., Pearl, MS 39208.
