Larry Marshall Sams

Dr. Larry Marshall Sams, 87, beloved husband, father, professor, and writer, passed away on April 29, 2026 at the Golden Age Nursing home in Greenwood, MS. A funeral Mass is scheduled for Friday, May 15, at 11:00, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church with the Rev. Hilary Brzezinski, OFM presiding. Visitation will be in the church from 10:00 until the time of the service. Greenwood Delta Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.

Larry was born on February 2, 1939 in Taylorsville, KY, the only child of John Marshall Sams and Elizabeth (Betty) Jones Sams. He treasured his childhood memories of growing up in Bloomfield, KY with his large extended family, and graduated from Bloomfield High School as Valedictorian. He continued his education at the University of Kentucky, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, before enlisting in the United States Coast Guard. It was during his four years in the Coast Guard, that Larry realized that he wanted to pursue a degree in Creative Writing.

He attended Johns Hopkins University where he received a Master’s degree, and was then employed at the University of Georgia as a teaching assistant in the English Department. It was at UGA that he met his future wife, Sandra Burk. Following their marriage in 1971, they spent a year at the University of Virginia, where Larry studied Creative Writing with Peter Taylor. In 1974 Larry received his PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Larry was a professor of English and Creative Writing at Mississippi Valley State University for thirty years. He was known among his students as a challenging teacher who spent many hours grading essays that offered detailed explanations for the student’s grade. Many of his former students said that he was both the hardest and the best teacher they ever had.

Larry was devoted to the written word, and composed numerous short stories and poems, many of which were published by magazines and university presses. He was a disciplined person who devoted two hours to writing most every day.

Those who knew Larry best knew that his discipline coexisted with an incredible sense of humor and a love of laughter. He was an avid sports fan, especially UK basketball and UGA football, and loved music, amassing a huge record collection over his lifetime, largely focusing on Jazz. He was also a movie buff, horseracing aficionado, and amateur mixologist.

As much as Larry loved writing, teaching, and his other hobbies, his greatest joy was his family. He was a loving husband of nearly 55 years to his wife, Sandra. He found fatherhood to be the most rewarding experience of his life, and daughters Rachel and Amelia were a source of endless joy for him.

Larry is survived by his wife, Sandra, daughters Rachel (and her husband William Zinn) and Amelia (and her husband Sam Whittington).

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, P. O. Box 313, Greenwood, MS 38935 or St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 2613 Highway 82 East, Greenwood, MS 38930.

In your charity, please say a prayer for the repose of Larry’s soul. “May flights of angels sing him to his rest”.

Greenwood Delta funeral Home (www.greenwooddeltafh.com) is in charge of arrangements.

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