Obituraries 05-14-26

GAYE NUCKOLS

June 14, 1944-May 9, 2026

Funeral services for Gaye Nuckols, 81, of Powhatan, Va., will be at 2 
p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2026 from West Shady Grove Baptist Church in 
Waynesboro, with Dr. Stephen Smith officiating. Visitation will be from 
12-2 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2026 from West Shady Grove Baptist 
Church.

Following the funeral service, interment will take place at West Shady 
Grove Cemetery in Waynesboro.

Born in Waynesboro on Wednesday, June 14, 1944 to the late Otis and 
Clara Lou Pitts, she retired as an Assistant Manager with Walmart.

She will also be remembered for the love she had for her family. She was 
at her happiest attending the events of her grandkids and being a part 
of her children's lives.

She died on Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Powhatan.

She is survived by her two sons and daughters-in-law, Shon and Shannon 
Nuckols and Christopher and Lori Nuckols, all of Powhathan; six 
grandchildren, Julia, Emily, Cynthia, Helena, Mckayla and Jace; four 
sisters and two brothers-in-law, Patsy and James H. Easley of Vardaman, 
Jeanette and George Collins of Heidelberg, Cheryl Windham of Greenville, 
N.C., and Ginger Cooksey of Waynesboro; four brothers and three 
sisters-in-law, Sammy Pitts of Petal, Toby and Nancy Pitts of Laurel, 
Dexter and Elaine Pitts and Rusty and Robbie Pitts, all of Waynesboro; 
and 22 nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Otis and Clara Lou Pitts; two 
sisters-in-law, Charlotte Odom Pitts and Debbie Holifield Pitts; and her 
brother-in-law, Paul Windham.

An online guestbook can be signed at www.freemanfh.com.

Freeman Funeral Home of Waynesboro is in charge of arrangements.

CHARLES WAYNE SMITH

Aug. 19, 1940-May 6, 2026

Funeral services for Charles Wayne Smith, 85, of Ocean Springs, will at 
2 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026 from St. John's Episcopal Church in 
Ocean Springs, with visitation beginning at 1 p.m. until time of 
service.

Born on Aug. 19, 1940 in Wilsonville, Ala., he spent his childhood days 
in Irondale, Ala., where his father worked for the railroad. He 
graduated from Shades Valley High School in 1958.

Due to the untimely death of his father, he remained home for two years 
before entering Clark College in Newton, Miss. He earned an Associates 
of Arts degree from Clark, then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from 
William Carey College i 1963.

Following Carey, he entered graduate school at the University of 
Southern Mississippi. He was awarded a Master's degree in History in 
1967 and a PhD in History in 1970. His major field of study was Modern 
Europe with an emphasis in Germany and Russia. Dr. Terry Harper served 
as his thesis advisor. While at Southern, Charles served as a Graduate 
Assistant to Dean Claude Fike.

In September 1970, he began teaching at Cameron College in Lawton, 
Okla., as a professor of history. He remained at Cameron for 30 years, 
filling various academic and administrator positions. He served as 
Chairman for the Humanities, Special Assistant to the President for 
Academic Affairs, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chairman of 
the Department of Social Studies. While Vice President under the 
visionary leadership of President Don C. Davis, Dr. Smith guided Cameron 
— a four-year Bachelor's degree granting college — to become Cameron 
University, offering advanced degrees in multiple fields of academic 
study.

Many thanks were due to Dr. Ralph Blodgett, whose tireless work secured 
necessary accreditation requirements for university status. Charles' 
passion and talent was teaching, but he used his prodigious management 
skills to improve lives in his community and state.

Early in his career, Dr. Smith was chosen the Jaycees' Outstanding Young 
Man of the Year for Lawton, Okla. Outstanding remained the hallmark of 
his varied professional and public activities.

He served two terms on the Lawton City Council and was active in local 
and state political affairs, served as a Vestry member and Sunday School 
Director for St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, was a member of the Oklahoma 
Humanities Council, served on the Salvation Army Advisory Board and as 
the Academic Humanist and a career supporter of the Cameron Campus 
Minstry and the Reverend Phil Jones.

He supported the Mattie Beale Restoration Project and initiated the 
Lawton Public Library Chautauqua Project. His 30 years in Oklahoma was 
time well spent.

He moved to Ocean Springs in 2000 and enjoyed retirement there and at 
River Ridge Camp in Wayne County.

He died quietly on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 while sleeping at his home in 
Ocean Springs.

He is survived by his wife, Cecil George Brown Smith; his daughter and 
son-in-law, Katherine Alta Smith and Russell Davis Mereo; his son and 
daughter-in-law, Trevor Augustine and Lenore Reda Smith; five 
grandchildren, Christopher Barkley Mereo, Olivia Grace Mereo, Ethan 
Davis Mereo, Charles Andrew Smith and Claudia Renee Smith; his nephew, 
Dewayne Smith; his niece, Jeanine Smith Noble; and his godsons, Joe 
Gregory Ford, Jr., and David Pollina Ford.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Augustine Smith and Leda Davis 
Smith; his brother, James Edgar Smith; his sister-in-law, Betty Jane 
Harrison; and his nephew, Roger Smith of Thomasville, Ala.

Memorial offerings may be made to St. John's Endowment Fund, 705 Rayburn 
Ave., Ocean Springs, MS 39564; Pleasant Grove Cemetery Association, ℅ 
Pleasant Grove Church, P.O. Box 302, Waynesboro, MS 39367; or the 
Cameron University Foundation, Cameron University, 2800 Gore Blvd., 
Lawton, OK 39505.

Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

JOHNNY PAUL "J.P." PALMER

April 18, 1966-May 7, 2026

Funeral services for Johnny Paul "J.P." Palmer, 60, of Waynesboro, were 
conducted at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 from Harvest Temple Church 
in Waynesboro, with Rev. Edward Bean, Rev. James Walley and Rev. Rickey 
Williams officiating. 

Interment followed in Corinth Cemetery in Wayne County.

Born in Waynesboro on Monday, April 18, 1966 to the late Davis and Linda 
Palmer, he was a member of Harvest Temple Church. He retired as a 
Cafeteria Worker with the Wayne County School District.

"J.P." had a great love for Wayne County football and baseball. After 
every War Eagle win, his favorite saying was "The good guys won." "War 
Eagle."

He died on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at South Central Regional Medical 
Center in Laurel.

He is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Maria Palmer of 
Waynesboro; two brothers and a sister-in-law, William Palmer and Jeremy 
and Miranda Palmer, all of Waynesboro; and his nieces and nephews, Tori 
Palmer, Dakota Smrcka, Cindy Buford, Cheyenne Stokes, Paisley Perryman, 
Ty Palmer, Kaden Palmer, Parker Palmer and Kason Palmer.

An online guestbook can be signed at www.freemanfh.com.

Freeman Funeral Home of Waynesboro was in charge of arrangements.