Percy Lee Shelton was born on November 25, 1946, in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi. He was the “baby boy” of the Rev. T.E. Shelton, Sr., and Sarah Brewer Shelton of Columbus, MS. Percy died on June 27, 2023 at the age of 76.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his oldest brother Thomas Edward Shelton, Jr., and his niece, Beth Ann Shelton. He is survived by his wife of 52and one/half years and college sweetheart, Linda G. Homan Shelton; his older brother Compton L. “Red” Shelton (Molly); his niece Mary Alice Hall (Joey); his nephew Guy Shelton Gillespie; and two nieces: Allie Beth and Carolina Grace “Gracie” Gillespie, all of Guntown, MS, as well as cousins living in various parts of the U.S.A.
Percy was a “preacher’s kid” and life-long Methodist who enjoyed working behind the scenes in various positions of the local church. As a “PK,” He was blessed to have attended only two schools: Noxapater Elementary/Middle School and Baldwyn High School, having graduated in 1964. He graduated from Mississippi State University (MSU) in 1968 with a B.S. in Accounting. He participated in ROTC and became a second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force upon graduation. He was a twenty-year career commissioned supply officer, serving until 1988. He and Linda enjoyed traveling the world together.
Upon retirement from the Air Force, Percy and Linda returned to Mississippi and lived in Columbus, where Percy worked for another twenty years as a Materials Manager for Omnova Solutions. After forty years of working, Percy finally and fully retired and they moved to Belden in 2018 to be near both of their families.
Percy and Linda retired in a rather rural community on a lake on the edge of Pontotoc County, where Percy thoroughly enjoyed his retirement. Retirement for Percy was not fishing, boating, or hunting, other than a couch to nap on. Rather, retirement for Percy was completing puzzles on his computer, working to prepare for the St. Luke Food Pantry each week, attempting to complete Linda’s to-do-list (when he had time), and sitting on the back porch doing nothing other than enjoying the beauty of the sunset and smoking his cigar. He was a quiet, introspective, caring person with a surprising sense of humor and sparkling green eyes who will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him.
Holland Funeral Directors are in charge of final arrangements, which are incomplete at this time. Interment will be a private service at the Columbarium of St. Luke UMC, Tupelo, MS.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Luke Food Pantry, P. O. Box 42, Tupelo, MS 38802 or to The American Cancer Society. Check or money order may be mailed to The American Cancer Society, P. O. Box 1640, Hagerstown, MD 21741. Donations may be made ACS online at cancer.org or by phone at 1-800-227-2345.
