Obituaries – Jan. 2, 2014

Alan Wright Arrington

Mr. Alan Wright Arrington, 44, died Monday, December 23, 2013, as a result of an automobile accident in Panola County.  
    The funeral service was held Saturday, December 28, at 11 a.m. at North Oxford Baptist Church with Rev. Alan Cochet and Rev. Justin McGuire officiating. Interment followed in College Hill Cemetery. Waller Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
    Born in Water Valley, Alan was preceded in death by his father, Jimmy Lynn Arrington.  Nicknamed “Tank,” he was in his second season on head coach Terry Bowden’s staff and, in addition to his assistant head coaching duties, also worked with the offensive line.  Arrington came to UA after six seasons at North Alabama, serving as the program’s offensive coordinator for the last four years.  He joined the UNA staff following 12 years as an assistant coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College after serving as a student assistant coach at Northwest Mississippi (1989-90) and Ole Miss (1991-93).
     His friend and colleague, Terry Bowden, describes him best, “We have lost someone who was truly special and had dedicated his life to guiding young men. Tank was a very good friend and a great person… In all my years of coaching I have never known someone who loved and cared for his players more than Tank.”
    Survivors include his wife, Gail Perkins Arrington of Akron, Ohio; his mother, Gale Wright Arrington of Oxford, and a brother, Perry Arrington, also of Oxford.
    Memorial contributions in Alan’s memory may be made to College Hill Cemetery Fund,  339 CR 102, Oxford, 38655 or The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, PO Box 4527, New York, NY 10163 or www.nationalmssociety.org.
    For additional information or to sign an online guestbook, visit our website www.wallerfuneralhome.com or call 662-234-7971.

Charles Ray Nix

BATESVILLE–Mr. Charles Ray Nix, 82, passed away on Saturday, December 21, 2013 at his home.
Services were held Saturday, December 28, at 11 a.m. in Batesville Presbyterian Church with burial in Batesville Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Nix joined the United States Marine Corps. in 1948 where he served during the Korean Conflict until 1952 and served three years and six months at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After leaving the Marine Corps., he returned to Batesville and farmed for 17 years before being elected to the Mississippi Senate in 1972. He served in that capacity until 1988 where he retired after serving 16 years. Mr. Nix returned to Batesville and became the Director of the Batesville – South Panola Chamber of Commerce and Panola County Development Foundation from 1987-1996, serving 11 years and six months.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Patricia Davis Nix; one daughter, Rebecca Nix Reed (Bobby); two sons, Charles Ray “Chuck” Nix, Jr. and Howard Malcolm Nix (Kim); two sisters, Carol Nix Crafton (Steve) of Batesville and Betty Sue Nix Whitten of Tyler, Texas; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, The late Charles Howard and Eunice Bryant Nix.
Billy Ray Roberts
SEARCY, ARK.—Billy Ray Roberts, 76, died Thursday, December 26, 2013, in Searcy.
    Funeral services were held Monday, December 30, at 10 a.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church. Powell Funeral Home of Searcy was in charge of arrangements.
    Mr. Roberts was born June 29, 1937, in Coffeeville, to Luther and Eddie Roberts.  He was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church, a member and past President of the Searcy Lions Club and served in the U.S. Navy as a Corpsman stationed with the U.S. Marines.  
    He is survived by his wife, Georgia Roberts of the home; one son, Jeff Roberts and wife, Kim, of Searcy; two sisters, Alice Landreth, of Coffeeville, Elsie Harrison and husband George of Coffeeville; and three grandchildren, Molly Roberts, Cody Roberts, and Maggie Roberts.
    He was preceded in death by his parents; and one brother, Luke Roberts.   

Michael Aaron Scanlon

WATER VALLEY—Michael Aaron Scanlon, age 30, died Thursday, December 26, 2013, at his home in Water Valley.
  Born October 26, 1983, in Oxford, Michael was a son of Kenneth Edward, Sr. and Virginia Ortiz Scanlon. Since 2004, Michael had resided in NMRC at Oxford. He enjoyed listening to music, playing in the water, being outside, taking car rides, and watching CNN news and Wheel of Fortune on TV. He was a member of First Christian Church in Water Valley.
  Visitation was held Monday, December 30, from noon until  2 p.m. in Seven Oaks Funeral Home at Water Valley. The funeral service followed visitation at two o’clock in the afternoon in the Henry Chapel of the funeral home, with Bro. David Freeman officiating. Burial was in Oak Hill Cemetery  in Water Valley, with Reggie Clayton, Jacova Jenkins, Desmond Parham, Keon Washington, Detric Doolittle, and Casey Dunn as pallbearers.
  Survivors include his parents, Edward and Virginia Scanlon of Water Valley; a sister, Sandra Scanlon Bennett (Chris) of Oxford; two brothers, Noel Kevin Scanlon of Water Valley and Kenneth E. Scanlon,  Jr. (Angelique) of Weir; his NMRC family: Q. T. Zinn, Bebra Herod, Leshia Stinson, Becky Robertson, Kayla Ford, Desmond Parham, Brody McKenzie, Sherry Ray, Cordarel Cook, Vijavia Scott, Bozurian Aquil, Devontra Harwell, LaShundra Wilson, Bobby Hervey, Shalynda Below, Tanice Upshaw, Tierra Goolsby, Juwanna Ewing, Jayvin Johnson, and other NMRC staff who loved and cared for him; as well as a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.