Rebecca McLeod Izard

Rebecca McLeod Izard, age 101, died on July 17, 2025 at UMMC Madison in Canton, MS after a short illness. Visitation will be at Hartman Jones Funeral Home in McComb, MS on July 21, 2025 from 12 PM until services at 2 PM. A private burial at Hollywood Cemetery will follow at a later date. The Rev. Vicki Landrum and Connie Felter will officiate the service. Becky was born to Dan and Sue Baylis McLeod on October 2, 1923, in Columbia, MS where she graduated from high school and played on the basketball, tennis and track teams. She was a proud graduate of MSCW (now MUW) with degrees in physical education and English, did graduate work in physical therapy at Stanford University, and received her M.A. degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Becky was a retired teacher of 30 years, teaching physical education and coaching basketball and tennis. She began teaching at Copiah-Lincoln Junior College, where her first basketball team won the state championship. She then taught at MSCW until moving to Pike County after her marriage to the late Carl Izard, former Associate Extension County Agent. There she taught and coached at Johnstons Station and Osyka High Schools before four years at Southwest MS Junior College. Her basketball teams there won a state championship, ranked first the season of a cancelled tournament, and won an AAU state championship the following year when girls' basketball was discontinued. She then left Southwest to begin seventeen years at McComb High School, where she taught physical education and conducted after-school intramurals. After her teaching career she was employed by Destinations Travel Company for seventeen years. Traveling widely, she enjoyed playing golf on many legendary courses in this country and abroad. She was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church in McComb for more than seventy years and at various times belonged to several professional, civic, social and volunteer organizations. Throughout the school years of her children, she was actively involved with their organizations as well as those of her husband. During that time, she was a coach in the Ponytail Softball League. After retiring, much of her free time was spent at Fernwood Country Club, where she was a former member of the Board of Governors, member and officer of the Ladies' Tennis and Golf Associations, and tennis singles champion for a number of years. She enjoyed friendships and trips on the USTA teams into her 80's and golf activities into her 90's, playing golf for the last time on her 96th birthday. Favorite memories include selection to the MS Senior Cup tennis team several years and representing MS in tennis singles and golf at the National Senior Olympics, placing fourth in tennis. In 2003, she and her college tennis partner were the winners of the 80's age group doubles division of the Southern Section Clay Court Championships. She was named to the Southwest Jr. College Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 and was chosen as a Blue Cross/Blue Shield Vitality Division Ageless Hero in 2005. An avid reader, she also enjoyed watching sports on TV (especially those of Mississippi State Bulldogs), word puzzles, and writing amusing poems to mark special occasions for her friends and organizations. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, and infant son Jeff. She is survived by her two daughters and a son-in-law: Susan Knight of Byram and Jane and John Turner of Flora; four grandchildren: Carl Knight, Jennifer Kassinger (Tyler), Johnny Turner (Noele), and Julie Barry (Mac). In addition, she leaves behind eight great-grandchildren: Kendal and Marley Knight, Emma and Collins Kassinger, Caroline and John Bishop Turner, and Miller and Annie Barry.