SGM (Ret.) Ulysses W. Mays entered into rest on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Funeral service will be held on Friday, April 17, 2026, at B. A. Williams Chapel at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Fort Jackson National Cemetery Columbia, SC at 1:00 p.m. He is survived by his siblings, Dana and Lisa Mays of Washington, DC, David Mays of Augusta, GA, Linda and Lydell Walker of Augusta, GA, Olive Mae Lyons of Little Rock, SC, Linda and Dawayne Douglas of Waldorf, MD, Brenda Lee of Fashion, NC, Joseph Lenwood Lee of Fashion, NC, Vera Vanessa Adams of Glen Burnie, MD, Johnnie Calhoun of FL, Doris Livingston of Little Rock, SC, Florence Livingston of Little Rock, SC, Jane and Roosevelt Willis of Clinton, MD and Marie Shaw of Little Rock, SC and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Sergeant Major Ulysses Wesley Mays (Ret.), son of the late Ulysses and Marie Calhoun Mays, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Mayes was reared in the small town of Little Rock, South Carolina. Certainly, growing up poor and working in the hot tobacco and cucumber fields of North and South Carolina, taught him discipline, excellent organizational skills, the importance of hard work, and lastly, the value of a hard-earned dollar.
He received his early childhood education in the South Carolina public school system, graduating from Dillon High School, home of the “Mighty Dillon Wildcats” in June 1978. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Excelsior College in Albany, New York and Masters degrees in both management and leadership and Human Resources Management from Webster University at Ford Gordon, Georgia. Mr. Mays’ philosophy on education is “Education Is a lifelong, mind-enriching, forever-changing, never-ending journey; once you stop learning you cease to grow and develop as a person.”
Mays, United States Army retired, throughout his very distinguished military career served in numerous locations around the world—Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Africa, Korea, Texas, and Maryland, The White House during the Reagan Administration, Sergeant Major Mays was the recipient of numerous U.S. military awards and decorations including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Joint Unit Commendation Medal. Both medals were awarded while he was assigned to international units. A tested and proven leader, this combat Solider was a recipient of the covered Bronze Order of Mercury for excellence in the signal world and he was awarded the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (MOVSM) for his outstanding volunteer work both on and off the military installation while assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas from 2002-2004. Mr. Mays most important and self-fulfilling volunteer moment was serving as a vital member of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Committee.
In July 2008, he retired from the Army culminating a stellar military career of more than 30 years of dedicated service in the United States of America. Mays served as the Treasurer of the Fort Gordon Credit Union, Augusta, Georgia, for eight years. This civic-minded leader was a member of several noteworthy organizations including, but not limited to, Former Vice-President of the Tuskegee Airman Eastern Region, Vice-President of the Fort Gordon Sergeant Major Association, Life member of both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Buffalo Soldiers of America. In 2006, Mays received the Blacks In Government Life Member award. Sergeant Major Mays brought extensive experience and a certain level of dedication, commitment to excellence, and superb leadership to everything he did.
In his own published words, “Great leadership is not a battleship nor is it a sinking ship, but when applied correctly, can be one of the greatest partnerships known to mankind.” In 2009, he formed his own very successful real estate company in Augusta, GA. He was also a motivational speaker. In 2011, he hosted the very first Little Rock Family Day event, to tell the history of Little Rock, bring “Rockers” together from around the nation, as well as teach the kids about the good old days. Mays enjoyed spending his free time writing, traveling, lecturing, listening to great old school music, volunteering, and enjoying all his life had to offer.
IN MEMORIAM: SGM (Ret.) Ulysses Wesley Mays
