The year that was: Mississippi lost many notable people in 2022. Here are a few of them
As the year 2022 comes to an end and a new one begins, it is a time to reflect not only significant events of the past year but also on the many lives lost during the previous 12 months.
On a national level, many famous and well-know people died, including actors Sidney Poitier and William Hurt; musicians Olivia Newton-John, Jerry Lee Lewis and Loretta Lynn; author P. J. O’Rourke, diplomat Madeleine Albright and NFL Hall of Fame inductee Rayfield Wright, to name a few.
However, many people who played important roles on the state and local level also died in 2022. And while no such list can be complete, here the Clarion Ledger takes a look at some of the notable Jackson area and greater Mississippi people who died during 2022.
January
Carole A. Davis, 65, died Jan. 10. Davis served on the Ridgeland Board of Alderman, representing Ward 3 from 1998 until 2004. During that time she helped form the city’s first SWAT team and was a key advocate for building Ridgeland High School. She later went on to serve as a Justice Court Judge in Madison County from 2005 through 2012. Carole ventured on to Real Estate and obtained her license in 2013 and for several years worked as a crisis counselor and freelance writer in Lowndes County.
Lusia Harris-Stewart, 66, died Jan. 18. One of the first women inducted into the Naismith Memorial National Basketball Hall of Fame, Harris-Stewart led the Delta State Lady Statesmen to three consecutive national championships between 1975 and 1977. She also became the first Black woman to be named homecoming queen at the university and was the first and only female to have ever been drafted by the NBA. Her life is the subject of the Academy Award winning 2021 documentary “The Queen of Basketball.”
February
Arnold Smith Hederman Jr., 80, died Feb. 7. Born into one of Mississippi's most prominent printing and publishing families, Hederman’s first job was to deliver the Clarion Ledger as a paper boy. He later worked in the company’s printing plant, sold retail advertising, and eventually became editor of The Clinton News, a weekly newspaper published between 1949 and 2010 in the Hinds County city just west of Jackson.
Betty Strachan, 74, died Feb. 11. A San Francisco native, Strachan came to Mississippi in the 1970s with plans to open a small arts and crafts store on County Line Road. She later added used records, which quickly became the best-selling items. From that beginning emerged the Little Big Store. Now located in Raymond’s 1889-era railroad depot, the store boasts one of the largest collections of vintage records, tapes, CDs and music memorabilia for sale anywhere in the region.
James Seawright, 85, died Feb. 12. A Jackson native, Seawright was recognized as one of the foremost technological artists and makers of kinetic sculpture, with works in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Princeton University Art Museum and other museums throughout the world. He joined the faculty of Princeton University in 1974 and was part of the Program in Visual Arts there for three decades, transferring to emeritus status in 2009.
March
Marvette LaRee’ Brown-Carroll, 59, died March 8. Dr. Brown-Carroll attended Tougaloo College receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. She was also recognized there as a talented soloist with the Tougaloo Concert Choir, performing concerts throughout the U.S. She later attended the University of Vermont, Harvard Medical School and New York Medical College before beginning a private medical practice in Harvey, Louisiana, in 1996.
John Arthur Eaves, 86, died March 18. A Louisville native, Eaves was a prominent Jackson attorney who began his law career in 1963, representing clients both nationally and internationally. He was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1972 and ran three unsuccessful campaigns for Mississippi Governor.
April
William Angelo “Billy” Primos, 87, died April 3. After graduation from the University of Mississippi in 1956 and serving several years in the U.S. Army (including an assignment in Germany) Primos returned to Jackson to assist in the operation of his family’s well-known restaurant business. For years he served as manager of Primos Restaurant No. 4 on Capitol Street, then later managed Primos Restaurant No. 2 on North State Street before retiring in 1994. He also served as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Jackson and was an avid outdoorsman.
Bobby Cleveland, 67, died April 28. An avid outdoorsman, sports fan and respected journalist, Cleveland for many years wrote outdoor columns and features for the Clarion Ledger. He was also published in national outdoors magazines and designed Sunday sports sections for the newspaper that won numerous national awards. More recently he worked for the Barnett Reservoir and Pearl River Valley Supply District as a publicist and event coordinator. Following his death the Reservoir Board of Directors voted unanimously to change the name of Lakeshore Park in Rankin County to Bobby Cleveland Park at Lakeshore.
May
Wirt A. Yerger Jr., 92, died May 2. A University of Mississippi graduate and U.S. Air Force veteran, Yerger in 1954 joined Ross & Yerger, Inc. Mississippi’s first insurance agency, founded in 1860. During his 48 years of leadership, the agency grew from three employees to 53. He was a past president of Metropolitan Boys Club, Metropolitan YMCA and Jackson Rotary Club. He founded both the Metropolitan Crime Commission and Fondren Renaissance Foundation. He was a former director of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, the Mississippi Insurance Council and the Community Foundation for Mississippi. From 1956 until 1966 he served as state chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party.
Robert Ellis Frith, 80, died May 5. Frith’s love for teaching and sports, especially basketball, led to a commendable career in coaching. He was named Coach of the Week five times by the Clarion Ledger, with over 90% of games won as a middle school coach at Northwest Jackson Middle School. He also served 11 years at Murrah High School where he took the team to state championships four times. In 2005 he was named Metro Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Jackson State University Sports Hall of Fame and the Jackson State University Basketball Hall of Fame and was also a member of the All Legends Basketball Team Association.
Eddie Maloney, 71, died May 18. As president of Cowboy Maloney’s Electric City, Maloney with his siblings grew the retail store to 13 locations selling appliances, electronics and furniture. He served as Chairman of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, President of the Country Club of Jackson and President of the Jackson Preparatory School Board. His love of baseball started young and for many years he served as co-owner of the Jackson Mets and later the Jackson Generals baseball teams.
John Ewing Buchanan 98, died May 29. Col. Buchanan served as a Command Pilot in the U.S. Air Force and had over 5,000 hours of flying time. Some of his military decorations include The Bronze Star Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Readiness Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal and the American Defense Service Medal. After leaving the Air Force in 1973 he opened Antiques Et. Cetera, a popular fine antiques store in Highland Village.
June
William O. “Bill” Barnett, 85, died June 9. Originally from Calhoun County, Barnett was a graduate of the University of Mississippi and the National Defense University. For many years he serves as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He later moved to Clinton where he became active in city government, serving as Ward 3 City Alderman. He was a graduate of Leadership Clinton and a member of Clinton Chamber of Commerce retirement committee. He also served as past president of the Clinton Lions Club, Attaché boosters, Band boosters, Art Council board, was a Brick Street Players patron and was honored as volunteer of the year for the Area 8 Special Olympics.
Richard Carl “Dick” Johnson, 88, died June 17. A Chicago native, Johnson came to Jackson in 1965 to serve as Dean of Students at Tougaloo College. After two years he began teaching in the Department of Philosophy and Religion and became chairman of the department. He served as President of the Jackson Human Relations Council in the early '70s and was President and Treasurer of the Board of American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. He also served as President of Common Cause Mississippi for several years and served on the Institutional Review Board of the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
July
Paul Chinchen, 58, died July 6. Chinchen, who obtained his Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, served as President of African Bible Colleges Inc. for 14 years. He and his wife Linda also served as missionaries in both Uganda and Malawi for more than 30 years. The international ministry operates three Christian universities in Africa: The first campus opened in Liberia in 1978, followed by a second in Malawi in 1991 and a third in Uganda in 2005. They also operate broadcasting stations and a Christian academy that serves students from kindergarten through grade 12.
Rashard Anderson, 45, died July 13. A former Jackson State football star and first-round NFL draft pick, Anderson joined the Carolina Panthers in 2000. Over two seasons, the 6-foot, 205-pound defensive back made 65 tackles and recorded one interception. He later played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League before returning to Jackson to serve as a respected teacher and coach.
Howard Miskelly, 96, died July 16. The patriarch of the well-known Miskelly Furniture family, Miskelly operated Howard’s Department Store in Okolona for 40 years. He was appointed to the Veterans Administration Board, served on the board for Mississippi Schools for The Deaf and Blind and was the President of the Mississippi Retail Association. His sons Tommy, Oscar and Chip founded Miskelly Furniture in Rankin County, recognized as one of the largest independent furniture retailers in the nation.
August
David Huggins, 74, died Aug. 10. A Biggersville native, Huggins began his law enforcement career in Alcorn County in the 1960s. He became a state trooper in 1969 and went on to become chief of the Mississippi Highway Patrol from 1988 to 1992. From 2000 to 2004, Huggins was commissioner of the Department of Public Safety. He was sergeant-at-arms for the Mississippi Senate from 2004 to 2008 and in 2008 became chief investigator for the state auditor’s office.
Gus Primos, 83, died Aug. 10. Born into the famous family best known as restaurateurs, Primos formed the Lakeland Development Corporation in 1974. He was a founder of Jackson Preparatory School and was instrumental in the founding of Woman’s and River Oaks Hospitals where he actively served on the board for many years. He also served on the boards of Trustmark National Bank, The Country Club of Jackson, River Hills Tennis Club and The Petroleum Club. He founded The Capitol Investors Club in 1958 which is still active today and was active in the formation of The Court House, Lakeland Yard and Garden Center, Mirror Lake Complex, Office Park East, Meadowbrook Highlands, Dogwood Place, Indian Creek and other properties.
Bobby Sutliff, 65, died Aug. 29. A 1974 graduate of Wingfield High School, Sutliff became one of the Jackson area’s most celebrated musicians having formed The Windbreakers in 1980 with longtime friend and collaborator Tim Lee. He also worked with a host of local and nationally recognized musicians including Mitch Easter, Richard Barone, Fritz Martin, Faye Hunter, Bruce Golden, Randy Everett, Joe Partridge and many others. Sutliff’s discography includes four albums with The Windbreakers and five solo records. A compilation of some of The Windbreakers best songs called Time Machine (1982-2002) was released in 2003 on the Paisley Pop label.
September
David Gilmer Wharton, 75, died Sept. 25. A North Carolina native, Dr. Wharton obtained his master of fine arts in photography and his doctorate in American Studies from The University of Texas. In 1999 he moved to Oxford to teach at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, becoming the director of Documentary Studies. He published four award-winning books of photography and exhibited his work throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe.
October
Charles Bradford Bynum, 54, died Oct. 27. A Brandon resident, Bradford served for 26 years in the United States Army. During that time, he received two Bronze Stars; three Meritorious Service Medals; Combat Infantryman’s Badge; Special Forces Tab; Ranger Tab; Master Parachute Badge; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Foreign Parachute Badges from Germany, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador; the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold) as well as many other awards and decorations. He was also an avid golfer, hunter, fisherman, hiker, sky diver and marksman.
Michael Tarrio, 36, died Oct. 27. Cpl. Tarrio joined the Jackson Police Department in 2011 and was named the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Association 2019 “Officer of the Year” for his courage under fire. He served in numerous capacities within the department, including as police officer, Civil Disturbance Team member, Direct Action Response Team member and police corporal. His death resulted from an off-duty motorcycle accident. On Nov. 3 a memorial dedication and balloon release was held in his honor near U.S. 80 in the same area where he lost his life.
November
Richard Evans “Dick” Hall, 84, died No. 2. One of Mississippi’s longest-serving public officials, Hall was Mississippi Transportation Commissioner for the Central District from 1999 to 2019. He previously served in the Mississippi Legislature for 24 years — three terms in the House of Representatives and three terms in the Senate. He was a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and the first recipient of the Hugh L. White Free Enterprise Award. His community involvement included serving on the Board of Directors of the Metro Jackson Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. He served as Chairman of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, the Mid Mississippi: March of Dimes and was President of the Jackson Touchdown Club in 2006.
Trace Alston, 62, died Nov. 6. A creative philosopher, eternal optimist and spiritual advisor, some of Alston’s greatest productions were the spectacular Hal’s St. Paddy’s Day parade floats that rolled down the streets of downtown Jackson for decades. He served as grand marshal of the parade in 2022. He had first been named grand marshal in 2019, but because of the COVID-19 Pandemic postponements became the longest-running grand marshal in the history of the parade.
Judy Ritter, 91, died Nov. 6. The daughter of a newspaper editor in Tupelo, Ritter came to Jackson with her husband Jack in 1956. A strong supporter of public education, she served as president of both Green and Chastain school PTAs and vice-president of the Jackson PTA Council. She was president of the Jackson Symphony League, a member of the Board of Governors of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, was active in the Jackson Friends of the Library and was a member and president of The Research Club of Jackson.
Barbara Dunn, 85, died Nov. 8. Dunn is remembered for faithfully serving the citizens of Hinds County for 31 years as Circuit Clerk. She was first elected in 1984 and at the time was one of the first female elected officials in the county. Dunn was credited for her strong work ethic, an open-door policy and giving everyone personal service. Every day she would wake up at 4 a.m., watch the news and head to the clerk’s office where she often prepared breakfast for her employees, whom she called “family.” She retired in 2015 at age 77.
Frank Jay Morgan, Jr., 100, died Nov. 25. A Meridian native and U.S. Navy veteran, Dr. Morgan received medical degrees from Tulane University and the University of Texas. He practiced surgery in Biloxi and Vicksburg prior to joining the Mississippi State Department of Health. For more than 12 years he served as Executive Officer of the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure following its creation by the Legislature in 1980. In 1993, he received the prestigious Dr. John H. Clark Leadership Award, presented yearly by the Federation of State Medical Boards.
Howard L. McMillan, 84, died Nov. 30. A member of Jackson’s first graduating class of Murrah High School in 1956, McMillan later attended the University of Mississippi, Louisiana State University and the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He joined Deposit Guaranty Bank in 1960 and was named president of Deposit Guaranty Corporation in 1985, retiring as Chairman of the Deposit Guaranty System in 2000. Among his many civic activities, McMillan served as Chairman of the Metro Jackson Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Board of Jackson Preparatory School, Chairman of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and Chairman of the Board of the Mississippi Baptist Healthcare Systems.
Billy Cyril Hudson Sr., 84, died Nov. 30. Described as a towering figure in Forrest County’s business, civic and political communities, Hudson served as a Forrest County supervisor, state senator, cattleman and was the former CEO of Hudson’s Salvage Inc. He was also an early proponent for making texting while driving illegal. After he retired from the Senate after three terms in 2019 at age 80, he was elected Forrest County Tax Collector, a position he served in until his death.
December
Mike Leach, 61, died Dec. 12. An outspoken and celebrated football coach originally from California, Leach began leading the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2020. Over three seasons he delivered a 19-17 record for the team, including an 8-4 record this season. He was named the AFCA national coach of the year in 2018 while at Washington State, a two-time national coach of the year, three-time conference coach of the year and the mastermind behind the NCAA record-setting air raid offense. He also previously served as head coach at Texas Tech University from 2000–2009, where he became the winningest coach in that school’s history.
Kenneth Angelo Primos Sr., 98, died Dec. 24. The son of Primos Cafe founder Angelo “Pop” Primos, Kenneth Primos helped to continue the family-owned restaurant legacy from the late 1940s through the mid-1990s, serving as manager of the former Primos Northgate Restaurant and Convention Center on North State Street for many years. He served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and attended the University of Mississippi following the war. He was the last living sibling of three brothers and a sister, Aleck Primos, Gus Primos, Mildred Smith and Billy Primos.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Many notable Mississippians died in 2022. Here are a few of them.
