Mary A. Jasper, a retired Associate Professor of Engineering Graphics at Mississippi State University died on June 20, 2015 at the age of 77 at Natchez Regional Medical Center in Natchez, Mississippi.
Mary is survived by her five children Nellie Wimberly of Natchez, Alice Jasper of Dallas, TX and her husband, Wayne Helms, Martin Jasper, Jr. of Mathiston, MS, Margaret Coleman of Lawton, OK, and Bill Jasper of Cumming, GA and his wife, Mitzi and a host of former college freshman and IMAGE students that called her “Mahm.” Surviving grandchildren are Guy William Wimberly, Clara Alice Wimberly, Hugh Martin Coleman, and Curtis Heath Coleman. She is preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Martin T. Jasper, Sr., her parents, Robert T. Ledbetter and Hesta Howze Ledbetter, and her brother Robert T. Ledbetter II.
Mary was born in Decatur, GA on November 27, 1937. She graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and General Business in 1959 and a M.S. in Civil Engineering in1963, both from Mississippi State University. She was the first licensed female Professional Engineer in Mississippi. She married Dr. Martin T. Jasper in 1963.
Mary began her career at Mississippi State in 1970, teaching engineering graphic design to engineering students for three decades. She was a long time faculty advisor to the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), MSU student chapter. She was instrumental in launching the highly successful IMAGE program (Increasing Minority Access to Graduate Education) in 1991 at Mississippi State University. She remained involved in the IMAGE program as well as the Summer Bridge Program until her retirement in 2001.
Mary loved reading mysteries, painting, drawing, and making miniatures. She was a devoted Christian and enjoyed studying the Bible. Being with her family made her very happy. She will always be remembered as a loving mother to many and a devoted grandmother to her grandchildren.
Visitation and Funeral Service will be at Welch Funeral Home Starkville, MS. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23 and from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24, followed by the funeral service at 10:00 a.m. Afterward a graveside service will be held at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Starkville.
Pallbearers will be Doug Wimberly, Guy Wimberly, Jeff Coleman, Hugh Coleman, Wayne Helms and Robert T. Ledbetter III.
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to French Camp Academy, One Fine Place,
French Camp, MS 39745 or visit http://www.frenchcamp.org/frenchcamp/ .
You may go online and sign our guest register at www.welchfuneralhomes.com.