William A. Sheffield, Sr.

WILLIAM A. SHEFFIELD, SR. Saltillo - William A. Sheffield, Sr., 89, died Friday, October 9, 2015, at his residence after a short illness. He was born in Montpellier on April 11, 1926 to Frank Earnest and Edith Lee Box Sheffield. He was raised in Clay County and graduated from Siloam High School. In 1943, He enlisted in the U. S. Navy where he served as a radio operator on Whidbey Island in Washington State during the latter years of World War II. After his military service, he attended Benjamin Franklin University in Washington D. C. where he graduated in 1949. While attending BFU, he had the uncanny distinction of accidentally knocking down President Harry S. Truman while hurrying to class one morning while the president was taking a walk. For over 60 years he had worked as an accountant and was a Certified Public Accountant with his accounting firm, W. A. Sheffield, CPA. A 33 degree Scottish Rite Mason, he was a longtime member of the Tupelo Masonic Lodge 318 and served on the 30th and 33rdDegree teams. W. A. was a longtime member of Calvary Baptist Church. A service honoring his life will be 2 p.m. Sunday, October 11, 2015 at the Jefferson Street Chapel of W. E. Pegues with Rev. Mark Cayson and Rev. Jim Yates officiating. Burial will be in Lee Memorial Park. Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Annie Jean Sheffield; his children, Bill Sheffield and his wife, Shelia, of Tupelo, Becky Palmer of Tega Cay, South Carolina, Jackie Robinson and his wife, Janice, of Mantachie, Tracey Sheffield Morton of Tupelo, Rick Sheffield (Allison) of Mantachie and Mark Alan Sheffield and his wife, Theresa, of Mantachie; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Martha Ann Sheffield and one sister, Kathleen Thomas. Visitation will be 5 - 8 p.m. Saturday, October 10, 2015 at W. E. Pegues, Tupelo. Memorials may be made to the Calvary Baptist Church Building Fund, 501 West Main Street, Tupelo, MS, 38804. Expressions of sympathy may be left at www.peguesfuneralhome.com