Mont Mars

MEMORIAL SERVICE:SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 20142:00 P. M.MCCLAIN-HAYS CHAPELVISITATION:  SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 201411:00 A. M. UNTIL SERVICE TIMEOFFICIATING:  REV. FRED BRITTONREV. JERRY WILKERSONBISHOP CLIFTON JONES William Montgomery “Mont” Mars, 76, of Philadelphia, Mississippi, passed away Thursday, September 4, 2014 at his home surrounded by family.Mont graduated from Philadelphia High School in 1955, served in the U.S. Army, then earned a bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi. He began his legal career at Alford and Mars in 1964 and established the Mars, Mars, and Mars Law Firm in 1982 with his sons, James and Dan, after they graduated from law school. He was a long-standing board member of the Citizens Bank, serving as Chairman from 2002 to 2008.Mont married his high school sweetheart, Dawn Mosley, in February of 1957, and together they raised their four children at the Mars ancestral home, “The Big House” on Holland Avenue. Later, they built a home on generations-old family land, Cherry Level Place, where he farmed, fished, raised cattle and kept pleasure horses for himself and his family. Together, they created family traditions, including big Sunday lunches, family birthday parties, afternoon trail rides, holiday gatherings, Thursday night pep-rallies and Ole Miss tailgating.Mont had a strong work ethic, a great sense of humor, a generous nature, and an empathetic heart, influencing the lives of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and of nearly everyone he met.  He enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s activities and sporting events, Philadelphia High School and Ole Miss football, trail riding, reading, traveling with Dawn, crossword puzzles, good conversations, watching old westerns, and reciting poetry.  He had a life-long love of dogs and horses. By the grace of God, he was thirty-nine years sober and applied the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous in every aspect of his life.Survivors include his loving wife of 57 years, Dawn Mosley Mars; sons, James Montgomery (Kim) Mars and Daniel Fenton (Sherry) Mars; daughter, Dawn Lea (Jeremy) Chalmers; grandchildren, Adam (Casey) Mars, Jessica (Blake) Pickering, William (Carol Marie) Mars, Mary Lea (Cole) Burkhalter, Sam (Jillian) Mars, Sarah Mars, Hadley Chalmers, Fent Mars, Abe Mars, and Charlie Chalmers. He also had eleven great-grandchildren: Mary Montgomery Mars, Maddox Mars, Jax Mars, Alex Mars, Jackson Pickering, Bailey Pilgrim, Caroline Mars, Will Mars, Della Burkhalter, Rowan Burkhalter, and Griffin Mars; sister, Martha Mars Ingram; nieces, Missy Ingram Smith and Mary Ingram Ridout; great-nephews, Latimer Smith, John Harold Smith, William Smith, and Connor Ridout. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Miriam Mars.Honorary pallbearers were Sammie Anderson, Sennett Killen, X-Earl Marshall, Lester Howell, Irvin Martin, Keith Eldridge, Kenneth Posey, Steve Webb, Robert Thomas, Joe Mulholland, Don Kilgore, Melvin Tingle, John McCauley, Billy Underwood, Babs Kirkland, Sheila Morgan, Cynthia Jordan, Pam Breland, Carol Burkes, Summer Hines, Gail McMahan, Charlene Johnson, and Tammy Ferguson.  IN LIEU OF FLOWERS FAMILY REQUESTS MEMORIALS MAY BE MADE TO:PALMER HOME FOR CHILDRENP. O. BOX 746COLUMBUS, MS  39703OR THE CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE