Roll Call Tribute

Gordon Richard Tupper 

November 8, 1937 - May 7, 2024 

Funeral services for Dr. Gordan Richard Tupper, 86, of Leland will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at Leland Methodist Church. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 a.m. before the service at the church. He passed away on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at his home in Leland, Mississippi. Burial will be in the Leland-Stoneville Cemetery under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Leland.

He was born to Lee and Bertha Tupper in Jennings, Louisiana on November 8, 1937. Dr Tupper was married to the late Julia Cole Tupper for 60 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of South West Louisiana and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees from Texas A&M University in agricultural engineering.

After short stints doing research at Texas A&M and the University of Arkansas, he started a long career in 1969 at the Mississippi State Research facility in Stoneville MS. Dr. Tupper was a distinguished and very well-respected leader, engineer, and researcher. Designing and developing agricultural equipment that is used all over the world to improve all phases of farming efficiency and productivity. In 1988 he was named “Progressive Farmer” magazine, Man of the Year!

In 1982 he started an additional career helping people with estate planning and long-term savings as well as life insurance. For 38 years, he was consistently a top producer; developing investment and insurance plans to help the local residents prepare for their future and retirements.

Dr. Tupper was a devout Christian and long-time member of Grace United Methodist Church in Greenville. Recently he joined the First Methodist Church in Leland. He made many mission trips to Honduras to help build churches and dig water wells. He also was a major financial supporter of a new orphanage. He truly loved to help his fellow man.

Additionally, he loved gardening. He had a massive pecan orchard and regularly sold excess harvest to Indianola Pecan House. Plus, his vegetable gardens always produced plenty for his family as well as his church family.

He is survived by his three children Karen (Alan) Wilson, Donna (David) Woods, and Randy Tupper, plus 4 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Baptist Medical Dental Mission International (BMDMI.org) in Hattiesburg, MS.