Martha Carolyn Sappington

1961 - 2026

Martha Carolyn Sappington died Thursday, January 1, 2026. She passed away, peacefully, in her home in New Albany, MS, surrounded by her children. She was 64 years old. Martha Carolyn was born in New Albany, MS on October 2, 1961. From 1966 to 1969 she lived in Columbia, SC, with her parents and three siblings. After the short stint in South Carolina, the family moved back to New Albany, where Martha graduated from W.P. Daniel High School in 1979 and attended Mississippi State University. She was a member of First Methodist Church in New Albany.

In 1983, Martha Carolyn married her husband, Tommy Sappington. To Tommy, she was affectionately known as Precious. Since then, her life was dedicated to helping Tommy run their family business, T. Sappington & Co., and raising their two children, Jenny and Albert. Martha Carolyn, known to most as M.C., and Tommy were as much an institution in their community as was their second-generation retail clothing business. Tommy did not miss an opportunity to credit M.C. with the store's success. M.C. and Tommy were committed, not only to their business and children, but to being true servants to their community. After Tommy's sudden passing in 2021, M.C. continued to carry the Sappington legacy, both in business and in service to her friends and community. She was awarded Outstanding Business of the Year from the Mississippi Main Street Association in 2023, as evidence of her success and commitment to continuing with her and Tommy's life's work together.

Although Martha Carolyn took great pride in her roles as a wife, mother, and business owner, perhaps her favorite occupation of all was as grandmother to her four grandchildren: Trey, Anne Thomas, Graves, and William. After Trey's arrival in 2017, M. C. became known to her family as "Birdie". Her grandchildren were truly the light of her life and her kindness and patience were never so evident, as when she was with them. She always had time to join them on the floor with toys, or to simply hear about their days and lives.

Martha Carolyn is joined in Heaven by her husband, Tommy Sappington; her mother, Martha Ladner; and her father, Robert Ladner. Martha is survived by her daughter Jenny Thompson (Rod) of Memphis, TN; her son, Albert Sappington (Kelli Anne) of New Albany, MS; her four grandchildren, Trey Thompson, Anne Thomas Sappington, Graves Thompson, and William Sappington; her sisters, Cathy Kleber and Becky Nieman; and her brother, Shelby Ladner.

The funeral will be held at First Methodist Church of New Albany on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the sanctuary, and the service will follow at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Methodist Church, P.O. Box 156, New Albany, MS 38652.