Mendenhall truly lost one of their very own movers and shakers with the death of Larry Broadhead late last week.
Larry lost his fight with cancer last week, but we know he is in a much better place. We recently had the opportunity to visit with him by phone and knew that he was fighting a valiant fight, but quality of life was important to him, and he is no longer suffering.
His wife of 57 years, Margo, said that if you asked Larry to serve on a board, you were asking for a leader. He was the type who got things done. Larry worked on many projects that most folks would be unaware of, but he was not doing it for the recognition. His goal was to make Simpson County a better place to call home.
Professionally, he founded Broadhead Building Supplies in Mendenhall and served as president of the Mississippi Building Materials Dealers Association.
Larry was a founding member of the Simpson County Country Club and one of the original members of the board of Simpson County Academy, where he not only gave of his time but also went the extra mile with financial support.
He was an active member of Mendenhall United Methodist Church, where he served in many capacities over the years.
More recently he had served on the Simpson General Hospital Board and was able to move them from a county operated facility to a privately owned facility that is continuing to offer quality healthcare for the county. His accomplishments include being one of the original members of the Simpson County Republican Committee.
Upon graduation from Mendenhall High School, Larry attended Millsaps, where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order. He was also a member of the basketball and golf teams there. He would later transfer to Mississippi State University to pursue a business degree.
While attending Mississippi State he met his wife to be, Margo. She said they met and became friends when their roommates started dating. Margo smiled and said it did not start with all the bells and whistles— that would come later.
Upon graduation the two married and moved back to Mendenhall. Larry joined the Air National Guard at Lackland Air Force Base and transferred back to Gulfport for additional training. He served in the Air Police and would be called into active service when Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Aside from Mississippi State, one of the things Larry Broadhead enjoyed most was golf. He was a member of the Jackson Country Club and was regular on the Thursday crew. He was a member of Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point and became of a member of the Cameron Club. He was active in the Mid-South Seniors Club and was presented the Senior Award along with the Green Jacket in 2022.
Services were held at Mendenhall United Methodist Church on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.
