Wade Hampton Creekmore, Jr., a Mississippi businessman whose vision helped usher in the modern wireless era across the South, died November 28, 2025. He was 91.
A Jackson native, Creekmore graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1956 before entering the U.S. Navy. There, he became an officer and later joined the elite Underwater Demolition Team—the precursor to today’s Navy SEALs. At a time when combat diving was still in its infancy, Creekmore was already helping shape its future as one of the nation’s early “frogmen.”
He returned to Mississippi in 1960 to take on a leadership role with Franklin Telephone Company in Franklin County, a position he would hold for the rest of his life. Creekmore entered Ole Miss Law School in 1964, practiced law, and eventually moved his family back to Jackson. However, his most consequential work was still ahead.
Sensing the potential of a technology few yet understood, he and his brother, James H. Creekmore, Sr., placed a bold bet on wireless communications. Their family venture grew into Cellular South—one of the nation’s earliest wireless networks and a pioneering force in mobile connectivity.
In 2011, the company rebranded as C Spire, becoming known throughout the region for innovation, investment, and cutting-edge telecommunications and technology services.
Creekmore’s contributions were recognized with induction into both the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame and the University’s Business School Hall of Fame—honors that capture only a fraction of a life marked by service, vision, and an enduring impact on Mississippi’s technological landscape.