Kyrle Keith Spell Jr.

Keith Spell, Jr-Macon, MS

Keith Spell, Jr., 76 of Macon, MS passed away Saturday, April 3, 2021 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Columbus, MS. A funeral service is planned for Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 2 p.m. at Cooksville United Methodist Church near Macon, MS.  Interment will follow in the church cemetery.  Visitation will be held at the church from 12-2 p.m. before the service. Memorials may be made to Sweet Paws Rescue, P.O. Box 752, Essex, MA  01929, Noxubee Co Extension Service/4H, 107 Adams St., Macon MS  39341, or Cooksville Cemetery Fund, 2356 Cooksville Rd., Macon, MS  39341. Cockrell Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements.

Kyrle Keith Spell, Jr. was born on October 17, 1944 in Macon, MS to the late Lucille Morgan Spell and Kyrle Keith Spell, Sr.  He was a native and lifetime resident of Macon, MS where he graduated from Noxubee County High School. He was also a graduate of East Mississippi Junior College and received a Master’s degree and two Specialist’s degrees from Mississippi State University. On July 24, 1966 he married the former Shirley Robbins. He and his bride moved to Slidell, Louisiana where he began his first teaching job. They later moved back to Macon. Keith served in the U.S. Army National Guard for six years.  He worked for the Noxubee County school system for a few years and became assistant principal at Earl Nash Elementary School. Later he worked for the Noxubee County Soil Conservation Service for several years. Keith then began his career job as a rural mail carrier from which he retired after 29 years of service. He was also involved in numerous odd jobs during his working career as well as being a Moorman feed salesman and a United Fence representative. Keith raised beef cattle for many years and enjoyed gardening, fishing, collecting cookbooks, and cooking. He was a member and trustee of Cooksville United Methodist Church and was also a member of the Macon Lions Club where he served as president. Keith was a former member of the Elon Baptist Church where he had served as deacon and had been longtime Sunday school teacher. He was an avid animal lover and even had stray or hungry animals that he took care of on his mail route each day. Keith enjoyed going to the beach and eagerly looked forward to the annual beach trip with his family each summer. Keith is preceded in death by his parents and stepfather David Douglas (Pete) Reeves.

Those left to mourn his passing are his wife: Shirley Robbins Spell of Macon, MS; a daughter: Robin (Billy) King and a son: James Keith Spell, both of Macon, MS as well as by three brothers: Jim Paul (Beth) Spell of John Day, OR.; Larry Reeves (Lucy) of Opelika, AL; and Bill Reeves (Carolyn) of Starkville, MS Keith is also survived by two grandchildren: Anna Morgan King and W.K. King.