Lea Paslay

Tupelo - LEA CLAYTON PASLAY, SR, 75, died Thursday, October 18, 2007, at The North Mississippi Medical Center after an extended illness. He was born April 7, 1932, in Como to the late Dr. Byran Hicklin and Etta Decell Rogers Paslay. He attended Sardis High School where he was selected as an All American Football Player. He then went on to University of Mississippi where he graduated in 1956 with a degree in physical education. At Ole Miss he played quarterback and halfback and was later drafted by the NFL to play for the New York Giants. He was twice selected All SEC. He then served in the US Army during the Korean War. He coached one year at Ripley High School before coming to Tupelo where he later became head football coach and athletic director. He also served as a Southeastern Conference official. After coaching he began his career in the insurance field and later began his own business, Lea Paslay Insurance, Inc. Very active in the community, he coached little league football and served as a Cub Scout leader. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Alpha House for 14 years. He was very instumental in starting the adult league softball in Tupelo and was honored by having a field at Veteran's Park named for him. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and was an avid fan of Ole Miss athletics. He loved spending time with his family. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church where he served as a fourth degree knight.

Services will be 11 a.m. Monday at St. James Catholic Church with Father Henry Shelton officiating. Burial will be in Tupelo Memorial Park. W. E. Pegues Funeral Directors is in charge of the arrangements.

Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Addie Paslay of Tupelo; four children, Lea Clayton Paslay, Jr. of Wiggins, Evelyn Decell Paslay Corbett, and husband, Creig, of Tupelo, Lisa Dawn Paslay Ford, and husband, Ron, of Saltillo, and Leslie Renee Paslay Moore and husband, Chris, of Guntown; Mary Ann Harris Pack and husband, Greg, of Park City, Utah; one sister, Evelyn Paslay Patton of Sardis; one brother, Joe Paslay and wife, Jean, of Oxford; 12 grandchildren, Kristin, Kathryn and Keeley Corbett and Kimberly Corbett Jeffaries and husband, Bo, Mallory Ford Smith and husband, Caleb, Morgan Ford, Ashlea and Anna Grace Shannon, Paslay Clayton Adkins, Lea III, Drew, and Dayna Paslay; two great-grandchildren, Corbett Rutland and Parker Smith; a special nephew, John Paslay and wife, Ro, of Texas; several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Rogers, Jeff, and Warren Paslay.

Pallbearers will be Gary Bridges, Ronnie Bell, Randy Kelly, Jerry Bristow, Mark Bullock, Jim Frerer, Bill Caples, Gene Ingram, Jerry Clayton, and Louis Pope.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Chuck Imbler, Leighton Pettis, Charles Reese, Gray Megginson, Felix Rutledge, Darrell Smith and the former Tupelo High School Coaches.

Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home with a Vigil for the Deceaced following in the chapel.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or The Sanctuary Hospice House, PO Box 2177, Tupelo, MS 38803; or a charity of the donor's choice.