Dr. Otha Wingo

Dr. Elvis Otha Wingo, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center.

He was born Sept. 17, 1934, in Prentiss County, Mississippi, to Elijah and Edna Goodin Wingo. Raised by sharecroppers, he dropped out of high school at age 16 to attend college. He received his Ph.D. from University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He married Marjorie Ann Hardy on June 11, 1961, in Wheeler, Mississippi.

Dr. Wingo was a professor of ancient Greek, Latin and mythology more than 30 years. He was a life member of Harold O. Grauel Masonic Lodge. He was president of Huna Research Inc. 40 years. He is a member of St. John the Theologian Orthodox Christian Church in Cape Girardeau and humbly served on the parish council as treasurer.

He was everybody's dad.

Survivors include his wife, Ann; a sister, Joy Dean Epple; a brother, Cecil; children, Lynn, Eric, and Vincent; grandchildren, Vanessa, Devin, Yosef, Elijah, Yoram, Jaina, Escher and Cory; and great-grandchildren, Kyra, Sage and Jude.

Public service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

Visitation will immediately follow the service until the beginning of a Masonic service at 12:45 p.m.

He is to be laid to rest in Booneville, Mississippi.

Memorial contributions may be given to St. John The Theologian Orthodox Christian Church.

Online condolences may be made at fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.