Ernest Duff (June 2, 1931 - May 27, 2016) was an American businessman, lawyer and former bishop of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

. He was the founder of Southern Tire Mart, a large independent commercial tire dealership in North America.

Early life

Ernest Ray Duff was born June 2, 1931, in

Covington County, Mississippi Covington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,568. Its county seat is Collins. The county is named for U.S. Army officer and Congressman Leonard Covington. History Covingt ...

, the youngest of five children of Carl Melton and Lela May Harvey Duff. His father was a building contractor. His parents were members of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...

. Duff was educated at Columbia High School, where he was president of the student body, and earned a bachelor's degree in law from the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

in Oxford. While attending law school at Ole Miss he served again as President of the student body and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. His Hall of Fame picture can be found at the Lyceum of the university.

Career

In 1973, Duff founded Southern Tire Mart. Duff later founded Duff Capital Investors, the second largest business in Mississippi, which owns twelve companies, with over 10,000 employees and an annual turnover of $2.2 billion.

Personal life

He was married to Bobbie Lou Baggett Duff, and they had three sons, Thomas Milton, James Ernest and Stephen Ray, and one daughter, Jane Elizabeth Duff Thomley, all of who live in

Hattiesburg Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...

, Mississippi. He was a former

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

and member of the High Priest Quorum of

. He died on May 27, 2016 at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in

Columbia, Mississippi Columbia is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Marion County, Mississippi, which was formed six years before Mississippi was admitted to statehood. Columbia was named for Columbia, South Carolina, from which many of the early settlers had migr ...

References

1931 births 2016 deaths People from Covington County, Mississippi People from Hattiesburg, Mississippi University of Mississippi alumni American company founders American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Businesspeople from Mississippi Latter Day Saints from Mississippi 20th-century American businesspeople {{US-business-bio-stub