A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held for Billy Wayne Tyson at 2pm on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at Gaines Chapel Global Methodist Church. Visitation will be Saturday, September 12, 2026 from 12pm-2pm at the church. Minister Austin Hoyle and Minister Trey Lambert will officiate the service with Stacy Tyson delivering the eulogy. 

Billy Wayne Tyson, 77, of Corinth, Mississippi, passed from this life on September 3, 2026. He was born July 16, 1949, in Corinth, where he spent all of his life and built the relationships, memories, and routines that meant so much to him.

Billy Wayne was married to Jimmie Gail (Strachan) Tyson for 58 years. He loved his family deeply and found great satisfaction in taking care of them, providing for them, and spoiling them whenever he had the chance. His granddaughters, Hannah and Sara, knew him simply as “Papa,” and there were few things in life that brought him more joy than they did.

For most of his adult life, Billy Wayne owned and operated Tyson-Farris Furniture in Corinth. After selling the business and semi-retiring, he spent a number of years working at the historic Biggers Ace Hardware. Work was never just work for Billy Wayne. It was also a place for conversation, relationships, familiar faces, and the stories that connected him to the community he called home.

In his younger years, Billy Wayne enjoyed hunting, fishing, and riding motorcycles. As he mellowed with age, he found just as much enjoyment closer to home, working outside and tending his yard. He took real pride in keeping his grass in immaculate condition, and for many years there wasn’t a putting green around that could compete with Billy Wayne’s yard.

He also loved a good story, especially one that would make everyone laugh. Billy Wayne had an incredible memory for names, dates, people, and details. He could reach back years into the past and remember exactly who was there, when something happened, and often some small detail everyone else had long forgotten. That memory made him a wonderful storyteller, and many of us will miss hearing those stories almost as much as we will miss the sound of his laughter.

Billy Wayne was an active member of Gaines Chapel Methodist Church in Corinth. His faith was an important part of his life, and it is a source of comfort and hope for his family now.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Jimmie Gail Tyson; his son, Stacy Tyson and wife Jill; his granddaughters, Hannah and Sara; his brother, Jerry Tyson and wife Janey; his brothers- and sisters-in-law, Mike Strachan, Norris and Linda Davis, Jane Mills, and Greta Willis; along with many lifelong friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Billy Joseph and Mary Ruth Tyson, and by his in-laws, Lornia and Usona Strachan, who loved him as a son.

Those who knew Billy Wayne best are deeply saddened by his passing, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Because of his faith and the promise of resurrection in Christ, we believe that death does not have the final word and we will see him again. Magnolia Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Mr. Billy Wayne Tyson.