Knox Harold Loftin, Jr.

Tupelo- Knox Harold Loftin, Jr.

Knox Harold Loftin, Jr., 70, gained his heavenly wings on Thursday, March 14, 2024, after an extended illness. As he was welcomed by the open and loving arms of his Lord and Savior, he heard the words of God say, “Well done, my good and faithful son.”

Harold lived his life to the fullest, enjoying every moment as he served his God by serving others and by bringing joy, laughter, and smiles to everyone he met. He never met a stranger and could recall any new acquaintance even years later. His love and dedication to helping others was evident in everything he ever did, and everyone who ever met him loved him from that moment on.

Harold was born in Great Falls, Montana, on February 22, 1954, to Knox Harold Loftin, Sr., and Joan Millender Loftin. He attended and graduated from Aberdeen High School in 1972. He attended Itawamba Community College in 1973 studying general academics; however, his love of family and the land took him back to Aberdeen, Mississippi, where he worked with his father at the Monroe County Co-Op and helped to farm his family’s land until 1976.

Harold attended the University of Mississippi in Oxford from 1976-1979, where he served as a member of the Ole Miss Campus Police and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and a Minor in Law Enforcement.

Harold then continued to help work the family farm until 1987 when he was offered and accepted a position with the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) as an Eligibility Worker II where he assisted Monroe County residents with obtaining economic assistance and served as a trainer and acting supervisor for other staff.

In 1993, Harold became one of only seven Constituent Services Representatives (CSR) across the state of Mississippi for MDHS. In this role, he covered 20 counties in Region I in Northeast Mississippi and served as interim Region II CSR for an additional ten counties. In his position as CSR, Harold traveled extensively across the state to meet and help its citizens to find and access any needed assistance, not only from MDHS, but also from other government agencies and local service providers.  To fulfill his mission, he frequently communicated and worked closely with his leader and mentor, MDHS Director Colonel Don Taylor, the governor’s office, multiple state legislators, and other government and public officials; quickly making a name for himself as a warrior and true servant of the people of Mississippi.  Harold left no stone unturned as he gave all of himself to enriching and enhancing the lives of families and children under his watch.

After a change in government administration brought the CSR program to a close in 2001, Harold began serving as the Director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Northeast Mississippi’s Family Coaching Program in Tupelo.  In this role, Harold and his staff developed and implemented procedures, guidelines, and policies governing the activation of a new gratis program designed to assist low-income families in rising above poverty level by acquiring employment and improving basic life skills within the family unit.

In 2003, Harold began work with the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) as a Health Program Specialist Senior for District Two where he interpreted and enforced childcare regulations across a six county area for licensure renewals, as well as initial licensure, as he assisted new owners for state regulatory compliance.

In 2006, Harold’s diligence and exemplary work in this field brought him a promotion to MSDH Branch Director I for Districts One, Two, and Four where he hired, trained, mentored, supervised, and accompanied six Health Program Seniors who inspected and licensed over 530 daycare centers over a 30 county area of the state. Harold retired from this position and his career of public service in the spring of 2016.

Harold’s love of people brought him such joy; and in his spare time, both in his youth and in his retirement years, he always endeavored to offer opportunities for large groups to surround him in friendship, merriment, and good times. He founded and was CEO of the Prairie Shooting Preserve on his land in Prairie, Mississippi, where he raised game quail, trained bird dogs, and hosted quail hunts and cookouts for hunters across the South.

In approximately 1990, Harold’s love of cooking brought on his establishment of a BBQ food truck service in Aberdeen, Mississippi, at which time he began perfecting his recipes for the best pulled pork, ribs, chicken, BBQ sauce, baked beans, and coleslaw in the South. His clientele quickly grew and grew as BBQ lovers discovered his unique talent and his delicious one-of-a-kind BBQ; not only among the citizens of Aberdeen, but from multiple surrounding communities and towns and even tourists and travelers from other states (even as far away as New York). Harold officially gave his BBQ business a name in 2000 as it became Bar-B-Que on Wheels.  He loved it so much, he even had his logo tattooed on the top of his right foot, and he thoroughly enjoyed showing it off to everyone he met. Harold always enjoyed hiring and training the teenagers who helped him sell his BBQ, usually giving them all their first jobs within the public and a great reference and work history for their resumes as they ventured forward in life. When he moved from Prairie to Tupelo after remarrying in 2003, Harold fulfilled his lifelong dream of designing and building a commercial kitchen for his BBQ business. Located behind his home in the open countryside overlooking pastures, hillsides, forests, and lakes now stands the two-story dream he always had—aptly named the Rib Palace.

Harold was preceded in death by his father, Knox Harold Loftin, Sr.  He is survived by his beloved wife, Sherrie Lynn Loftin of Tupelo; his precious daughter, Ashley Cole Byrd (Will Taggart) of Starkville; grand dog, Knox Oscar Byrd, two granddaughters, Savannah Taggart, Everly Taggart, his mother, Joan Loftin of Gibson; mother-in-law, Doris Causey of Nettleton; two brothers, Daniel Loftin (Cheryl) of Aberdeen and David Loftin (Elaine) of Gibson; and one sister, Pamela Hall (Ronnie) of Gibson. He also leaves behind a niece, two nephews, four great nieces, and two great nephews, his guardian and beloved dog, Kylie Jo Loftin as well as a host of friends.
 
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, March 17, 2024 in the Chapel of Tisdale-Lann Memorial Funeral Home in Aberdeen with Bro. Micheal Evans officiating. Burial will be in Oddfellows Rest Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 until 6:00 pm Saturday, March 16 and from 1:00 until service time Sunday, March 17, 2024 at Tisdale-Lann Memorial Funeral Home in Aberdeen. Pallbearers will be Daniel Loftin, David Loftin, Jake Hall, Christopher Loftin, Bill Harlow, Wayne Perkins, Tuck Jones, Roy Tucker, and Jimmy "Artie" Williams. Honorary Pallbearers will be Will Taggart, Harold's Angels, and all his beloved friends.