William Wheat Jr. Obituary

William Lewis Wheat, Junior, 54, passed away at his home in Hattiesburg on Monday, February 12, 2024.

William, born in 1969, grew up in Petal and attended the Petal Schools. He was a long-time member of Petal Harvey Baptist church and served at one point on the financial committee for the church.

During his youth, he was active in many sports including a member of the Petal High School track, baseball and football teams. Upon high school graduation, William enlisted in the U.S. Navy and proudly served his country for 4 years, stationed in Chicago, IL. It was in the Navy that he found his professional calling in the field of accounting. Upon completion of his service duty, he returned to back to his native Mississippi to attend the University of said Mississippi (USM) where he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting. He held a professional license as a public certified accountant (CPA).

At the time of his passing, he was employed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Petal School District, a position he had held for 12 years. Prior to his current role, he had been employed in accounting roles at various places of employment including: Thames, McCarther Slay Accounting Firm; Ingalls Shipbuilding; Atlas Roofing; and Director of Accounting for the USM Physical Plant. Prior to serving as CFO, William served as a member of the Petal School Board between 2009-2011.

During his lifetime he enjoyed many hobbies and interests including hunting, fishing, attending NASCAR races, watching football games, golfing, watching movies, and traveling to the beach.

He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Wheat of Hattiesburg; a son, Asher Wheat (15) of Petal; a daughter, Lauryn (23) (Andrew) Kirkland of Birmingham, AL; father, William L. (Rita) Wheat, Sr. of Petal; mother, Nell Wheat of Petal; and a sister, Celeste Wheat of Petal.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorials may be directed to the William Wheat, Jr. Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to an academically-talented senior at Petal High School who is a student athlete and plans to major in accounting. Donations are being accepted online at http://www.petaleducationfoundation.org or donations may be mailed to William Wheat, Jr., in care of Petal Education Foundation, P. O. Box 948, Petal, MS 39465.