Steven Ralph Boone

Long-time Jackson resident, Steven Ralph Boone, passed away December 17, 2025, after an extended illness. Steve was born October 26, 1941, in Enid, Oklahoma, to Benjamin Lewis Boone and Gweneth Gail (Bundy) Boone.
The family lived in Oklahoma and Indiana during Steve's younger years and spent 11 years in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Steve graduated from Bentonville High School in 1959. Steve's parents instilled in him a steadfast work ethic, and he was excited when, at 15, he was finally old enough to work for Sam Walton's Ben Franklin store stocking merchandise and cleaning. Throughout his adolescence, he worked as a bottler for Spea's Vinegar, librarian at Hendrix College, youth director for the Methodist Church, door-to-door Bible salesman, appliance delivery truck driver, and a mail handler at Union Terminal in Dallas.
While attending Hendrix College (Conway, AR), Steve met and married his college sweetheart, Elizabeth (Beth) Highfill. He then transferred to Southern Methodist University (SMU) where he received his bachelor's degree in English in 1964 and his Master of Divinity from SMU Perkins School of Theology in 1967 (Dallas, TX). The couple welcomed son, Andy, in 1962, and daughter, Jennifer, in 1968. Steve served as a United Methodist minister in LaRue, TX, Ft. Smith, AR and Metairie and Alexandria, LA.
Steve moved his young family to Jackson, MS, in 1971 after accepting a position with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A self-described "unrepentant liberal," he was passionate about The Civil Rights Movement and sought to contribute his time and support to the fight for equal rights for all U.S. citizens throughout the 1970's and beyond. After Steve and Beth divorced in 1973, he devotedly continued his life-long support of their two children.
Steve married Kay Elizabeth Case in 1974, and the couple continued to live in Jackson with Kay's sons, Warren and Brad Teague. During their 44-year marriage, they attended St. James Episcopal Church where they found community and a beloved spiritual family. For decades, they were both active members in the St. James choir and contributed their voices to the rich beauty of the traditional hymns, Anglican chants and polyphonic anthems. Steve worked for Ott & Purdy Law Firm as a legal assistant throughout the 1980's and later joined Kay as an employee of the Jackson Public Schools (JPS) system. He retired after serving as an English teacher and librarian in the JPS system.
Steve understood faith as something lived rather than proclaimed, finding in Christ's teachings a call to show up for others in practical, compassionate ways. He made himself available to provide pastoral care to church and community members, sing in the choir for weddings and funerals, faithfully donate blood and platelets, take care of a sick neighbor's yard, provide rides to church or the airport, visit friends in the hospital, offer a listening ear to anyone who asked, plan a 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration for his parents, donate money to multiple charities, and celebrate family members' birthdays, graduations, weddings and other meaningful milestones with heartfelt messages of love and support and generous gifts. A lifelong learner and thoughtful seeker, Steve was a "searcher" who wrestled with life's big questions of faith, justice, meaning, and responsibility to others. He patiently sat with people in moments of uncertainty, listening carefully, asking thoughtful questions, and helping them find their way, always encouraging hope in the face of difficulty. He and Kay also supported the Mississippi Museum of Art, the Mississippi Symphony, Mississippi Public Broadcasting and New Stage Theater. He was a thoughtful, empathetic and compassionate person, and even as his cognitive skills waned due to Alzheimer's Disease, he remained constantly concerned about the welfare of others.
Steve was preceded in death by his parents (plus four uncles and three aunts in the Boone and Bundy families), his wife Kay Case Boone, Kay's parents, Houston and Thelma Case, and his son Warren Teague of Brandon, MS. He is survived by his only sibling, Dan Boone (Teena) of Madison, AL; his first wife Margaret Elizabeth (Beth) Highfill Boone of Madison, MS; his son Andy Boone (Barbara) of Madison, MS, his daughter Jennifer Tomlinson (Andrew) of Clinton, MS, his son Brad Teague (Gina) of Conway, AR; niece Sara Boone (Shana) of Salem, AL, niece Laura Boone (Russel) of Nashville, TN; brothers in law Jerry Case (Virginia) of Brookhaven, MS, Richard Case (Beverly) of Brookhaven, MS and Steve Case (Ellen) of Batesville, AR, along with their families and many beloved Case nieces, nephews, and extended relatives; ten grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
A Requiem Eucharist will be celebrated at 12 Noon Saturday, January 17, 2026, at St. James' Episcopal Church. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, suggested memorials are the Stewpot Community Services, the St. James Music Program, or a charity of your choice.