Samuel Wayne McMaster

Published 7:11 pm Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Samuel Wayne McMaster, 87, of Vicksburg, Mississippi passed away Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Vicksburg. He was born Tuesday, February 1, 1938, in Benton, Mississippi.

Visitation will be held Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 1 until 2 p.m. at Fisher-Riles Funeral Home at 5000 Indiana Ave. in Vicksburg. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. The burial will then take place in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg. Father Rusty Vincent will officiate.

Wayne spent the majority of his life in Vicksburg, where he met his wife, Mary Nell. They loved to travel together, Sunday dinners with family and celebrating the Fourth of July, which was their wedding anniversary. He was retired from the U.S. Corps of Engineers where he worked for over 30 years as a towboat engineer. He was also extremely active in the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, especially the Confederate cemetery. Wayne was also an active member of St. Paul Catholic Church, where he served on the parish council, served on the committee to purchase Farrell Hall and worked to preserve the history of the Carillon bells. Wayne dearly loved his family and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Lee McMaster; mother, Dessie Laurene Wigley McMaster; brothers, Douglas McMaster, Robert “Bobby” McMaster and Edmund McMaster.

Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Mary Nell Garvin McMaster; son, Paul McMaster (Janet) of Vicksburg; daughters, Vicki Tedder (James) of Vicksburg and Laura Couloubaritsis (George) of Memphis; grandchildren, Barbara Tedder, Kelcey McMaster, Layne Tedder (Sierra), Kylie McMaster, Maryanna Storino (Franco) and Gabriella Couloubaritsis; sister, Evelyn Melton; great-grandchild, Kynleigh Tedder, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Paul McMaster, James Tedder, George Couloubaritsis, Layne Tedder, Franco Storino, Brian Pratt, and Bryan Skipworth.

In lieu of flowers, the family humbly requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s association. www.alz.org

An online guestbook may be signed at www.fisherrilesfuneralhome.com.