James Riley Rucker Sr. died at his home Friday, May 29, 2009. He was 74.

Born in Durant, Miss., Mr. Rucker was the son of the late James C. and Willie Kay Rucker.

He retired from the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier and supervisor of city and county mail. He was a past vice president of the Mississippi Association of Letter Carriers, serving as legislative liaison to the Mississippi congressional delegation.

Mr. Rucker was chairman of the Civil Service Commission under the administration of Mayor Joe Loviza. He was a past governor of the Alabama-Mississippi District of Optimists International. He was a past vice president of the Jaycees and served as executive director of the 1970 Miss Mississippi Pageant.

He was a member of Bowmar Baptist Church.

Mr. Rucker was preceded in death by a brother, Robert W. Rucker.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marjorie Mims Rucker of Vicksburg; three sons, James Rucker Jr. of Vicksburg, Mark Rucker of Franklin, Tenn., and Tom Rucker of Palm Bay, Fla.;  four granddaughters, Jennifer Rucker and Sherry Brown, both of Vicksburg, Lindsey Rucker of Franklin and Rebecca Rucker of Palm Bay; two great-grandsons, Charles Brown and William Henne, both  of Vicksburg; a sister, Ruth Thomas of Crystal Springs; and a brother, Travis Rucker of Flowood.

Services will be 10 a.m. Monday at Riles Funeral Home, with the Rev. Terry White and Gaylan McGregor officiating. Burial will be at Green Acres Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2 until 4 this afternoon at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Danny Rice, Joe Loviza, Doug Foster, Mike Edwards and Harold Stratz.

Honorary pallbearers will be Ed and Shirley Waldrop, Nita Shaw, Pete and Louise Hall, Dot McGee and members of the Vicksburg Police Department and Vicksburg Fire Department.