SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Max Dale Stites, 96, retired public school administrator, died in Springfield, Mo. on February 23, 2024.
Max was preceded in death by his wife, Dorisann (Culberson) Stites. Max remarried in 2008 and is survived by his wife, Mary Mitchell.
He is also survived by two sons and their spouses, Max Jr. and Diane Stites, and Regie Stites and Serena Clayton; four grandchildren, Max David Stites (and his spouse, Helen Bray), Gretchen Stizel (and her spouse, Heather Stizel), Evan Stites-Clayton, Cole Stites-Clayton (and his fiancé, Nicole Rodriguez); and, three great grandchildren, Jaymes and Jovie Stizel and Hunter Stites.
Max is also survived by one sister, Priscilla McGregor, and by numerous other relatives and extended family members.
Max was born in Charleston, Ill. on October 27, 1927, the child of Stanley and Pearl (Snyder) Stites. For the first four years of his life, Max was the baby of the family, coddled by five older sisters and three older brothers. Then, two more siblings joined the already very large family.
Max’s brother, Stan, two years older, was his childhood playmate and lifelong companion. The two brothers raised their families in Clinton, where Max resided for 70 years before moving to Springfield, Mo. for the final years of his life.
As a young man, Max was a talented athlete, excelling in football, basketball, and gymnastics. He retained his athletic energy and agility for much of his life. Though never a show-off, he loved to entertain his family and friends by executing fancy dives off the high board at the swim club, in Clinton. In retirement, Max took up golf and played regularly at the Clinton Country Club.
While attending Eastern Illinois University during the Second World War, Max played college football. Max served in the Army in 1948 and 1949.
On June 24, 1949, Max married Dorisann Culberson, in Pana, Ill. The couple lived in Miami, Fla., while Max completed his college education at the University of Miami, graduating in 1951. Max and Dorisann’s first son, Max Jr., was born in Miami in 1950.
In 1951, Max took a position as an accounts manager for Revere Copper and Brass at its Clinton, facility. A second son, Regie, was born in Clinton in 1955.
Max was a lifelong Methodist and a pillar of the Clinton United Methodist Church, active in church leadership and as a Sunday school teacher.
In 1966, Max took a job with the Clinton Community School District Number 15 as district business manager, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. As a district administrator, Max was responsible for managing school finances and for supervising all non-academic staff.
Max was active in community affairs and service. In addition to his work for the Clinton Community School District, he was a long-time member of the Kiwanis Club (president, 1972-73) and served for many years on the boards of the Clinton Community YMCA (board president, 1989-91), the Dr. John Warner Hospital Foundation, and the DeWitt County Human Services Agency. Max also served for a time as treasurer for American Legion Post #103, in Clinton, and joined in many other volunteer services to the community.
Max was known for his commitment to service to his family, his friends, his community, and to his faith. He was widely respected for his integrity and dependability. After his wife, Dorisann, developed Alzheimer’s, Max assumed personal responsibility for her care for more than a dozen years. Everyone who knew Max trusted him and knew they could rely on him.
Max was also known for his always upbeat spirit and even temper and for his sense of humor. He was virtually incapable of anger and he loved to tell corny jokes. He was loved by many and will be fondly remembered and sorely missed.
Donations in memory of Max Stites can be made to the Clinton United Methodist Church (http://clintonumcil.org/), the Clinton Community Educational Foundation (https://ccef15.org/), or the Warner Hospital and Health Services Foundation (formerly, Dr. John Warner Hospital Foundation - https://warnerhospital.org/about/foundation/).
Interment of ashes will take place at Linwood Cemetery in Pana, Ill. at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 31, 2024. A memorial service will be held at the Clinton United Methodist Church, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2024.
McCracken-Dean Funeral Home is assisting the family.
www.mdfh.com
