Sept. 1, 1933 – April 6, 2017

NATCHEZ — Memorial services for Francis Bryant Shiplet, 83, of Natchez, who died Thursday, April 6, 2017, at Riverland Medical Center in Ferriday, will be 1 p.m. Thursday, April 27, 2017, at St. Mary Basilica.
Visitation will be from 11:30 a.m. until service time Thursday at the church.
Mr. Shiplet was born Sept. 1, 1933, in Carlsbad, New Mexico, the son of Levi and Louise Shiplet.
Bryant attended the University of Texas and graduated from TCU where he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He was a veteran of the Korean War and proudly served in Germany as an orthopedic medic.
Bryant was a well respected mud engineer and was considered an expert in Wilcox wells. He loved his family dearly and took great pride in their accomplishments. He enjoyed a good game of golf, biking and was an active member of St. Mary Basilica.
Bryant enjoyed meeting friends every morning for coffee and tea every afternoon at Nikki’s Restaurant.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Gay Shiplet; one granddaughter, Sarah Garza; and his first wife, Suzi Maxwell Shiplet.
Bryant will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered.
Survivors include his wife, Libby Shiplet; one son, Michael Shiplet and wife, Jannett, of Alameda, Calif.; one daughter, Sara Waitt and husband, Damon, of Durham, N.C.; one stepson, Drew Stevens and wife, Jill, of Oxford; one stepdaughter, Jennifer Morrow and husband, Jamie, of Madison; two brothers-in-law, Pat Maxwell and wife, Mona, of Hazlehurst, and Joseph Corlew and wife, Alicia, of St. Francisville, La.; five granddaughters, Hannah Waitt of Seoul, S. Korea, Rachel Waitt of Austin, Texas, Miley Stevens of Oxford, Meredith Morrow and Margaret Morrow, both of Madison; one grandson, Jack Stevens of Oxford; two nieces, Allison Graham of Lafayette, La., and Susan Spann of Fate, Texas; two nephews, Michael and Dylan Corlew of St. Francisville; mother-in-law, Nina Corlew of Natchez; and a number of lifelong friends and colleagues.
The family expresses their deep appreciation to Dr. Kevin Ingram, Dr. Rick Ricaldi and the exceptional staff of Promise Hospital, Riverland Medical Center and Camellia Hospice for their loving care.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Alzheimer’s Mississippi, 855 S. Pear Orchard Road, Suite 501, Ridgeland, MS 39157.