Walter Tucker, 87, passed away on April 3, 2026, at his home after a brief illness.

Walter was born on a farm near Silver City in Humphreys County, MS, on January 28, 1939, to sharecropper parents, C.E. (Eugene) and Mary Thelma Tucker. He married Mary Ruth Clark of Webb in 1960, and they had two daughters, Ginger Lynn and Pamela Jean.

Walter grew up in the Mississippi Delta and graduated from West Tallahatchie High School, Webb, MS, in 1957. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force immediately after graduation and served four years. His tour of duty took him to Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX, for Basic Training and then to Syracuse University, NY, to study the Russian language. After successfully completing the Russian language course, he was sent to Alaska and finally to Roswell, NM. In addition to Syracuse University, and after joining the Mississippi Highway Patrol, he took courses at Hinds Junior College, Meridian Junior College, University of Virginia (FBI National Academy), University of Southern Mississippi, Ole Miss, Mississippi College, and finally earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1998 from the University of Alabama.

Walter joined the Mississippi Highway Patrol in 1964 and retired as director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau (now Mississippi Bureau of Investigation) with the rank of major in 1987 to become chief of the Meridian Police Department. In 1989, he was appointed chief of the Brandon Police Department, and in 1993, he was appointed director of the Mississippi Capitol Police. In 1998, he became the first director of the newly created Mississippi Leadership Council on Aging. In 2001, he joined the staff of the Metropolitan Crime Commission as the Law Enforcement Coordinator. Shortly after retiring from the Mississippi Capitol Police a second time, Walter went to work with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department as a chancery court bailiff and cold case investigator. He fully retired in 2014 with fifty years in law enforcement. Walter said he never worked a day of his life in his law enforcement career, because he truly loved what he did and looked forward to every day.

During his career, he served on the Mississippi Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee, the Mississippi Office of Highway Safety, and Chairman of the Mississippi Crime Stoppers Advisory Council. He was president of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police, president of the Mississippi Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates, and president of the MHP Retired Troopers Association for fourteen years. In 2014, he was presented the “Jim Ingram Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Mississippi Center for Police & Sheriffs. Walter was a faithful member of the Ushers Sunday School Class of Brandon Baptist Church.

In addition to his parents, Walter was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years Mary Ruth, daughter Pamela Tucker and sister Thelma Lutz (Bob) of Mobile, AL. He is survived by his daughter Ginger and his sister Nancy Pennington of Webb, MS. He is also survived by John Ashton Tucker Howell and Jarred Henry of Montgomery, LA, who “adopted” him and Mary as their “Mamaw” and “Papaw,” and Sharon Howell, Ashton and Jarred’s grandmother, along with Ruth, his cat, who shared her name with Mary Ruth.

Walter’s funeral will be held at the Ott & Lee Funeral Home chapel (1360 W. Government Street, Brandon, MS 39042) on Thursday, April 9, 2026. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., and the service will be from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Interment will follow at Crestview Memorial Gardens (1106 Star Road, Brandon, MS 39042).

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to your favorite charities.