George B. Mays

George Barnett Mays, affectionately known as “Big Poppie” and “Big Paw” and also “ Bruhe,” entered the world September 8, 1940 in North Little Rock, Arkansas, born to Barnett George and Dorothy Greenlee Mays. He departed on his divine journey on September 14, 2026.

From an early age he was taught faith and community, George accepted Christ at a young age attending church regularly with his mother but the highlight of his Sunday's was going to Mount Zion Baptist Church with his Grandma Bessie. George had a brilliant mind which was cultivated by his Grandma who was an elementary school teacher and would take him to work with her. She enrolled him in 1st grade at age five. He was very curious but a bit too rascally and contrary for his own good at times, meaning he got caught doing things that would get in big trouble with his parents.

As a young man, was quite the actor in theater and excelled both academically and athletically at Horace Mann High School where he graduated in 1957. He received a football scholarship to A.M.&N. also known in the present day as University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. 

Mays transferred to the UA in 1957 from Arkansas A. M. & N. College. In 1948, Wiley Branton, Sr. applied to the UA College of Business as an undergraduate and was denied admission because the UA was not admitting African Americans as undergraduates at that time. The first African Americans to be admitted as undergraduates occurred in 1955. George Mays was accepted into the College of Business as an undergraduate in 1957 and was told by the dean he was the first African American to be admitted as an undergraduate to the College of Business. Incidentally, he was invited to try out for the football team by a coach at the time, Jack Mitchell. “While I was in the process of signing up (for football), Jack Mitchell got fired and Frank Broyles came in as coach of the football team. I didn’t have a chance to play football.” From his interview in Remembrances in Black: Personal perspective of the African American experience at the University of Arkansas 1940s.

George also had an entrepreneurial spirit early in his life, as he actually sold all his college books to other students for a profit. However at the end of his freshman year, he decided to attend the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville to honor his Grandma Bessie as she was the inspiration through encouraging him to attend her alma mater in his early teenage years and he was also offered a football scholarship as well. However, for George to attend, the Dean requested his father to come to the school and upon his father's arrival, was told that the University would not be responsible for anything that would happen to George. 

George then started his journey as the first Black to attend the University of Arkansas Business School and graduated and was honored because of these events. He developed a special courage in those hostile times in this country's history which taught him extraordinary lessons he applied throughout his life's path.

He moved to California in 1961 and his family followed. He then began his career in Aerospace at Lockheed Corporation and during his time there participated as a buyer to assist with the Moon Launch. He later came back to Little Rock to work with Governor Rockfeller assisting him on different projects. He went back to California but eventually returned in 1983 to work in his family's Realty business (Mays Realty) founded by his father Barnett in North Little Rock. George had many accomplishments through the years of his career as a broker, investor and contractor and was also honored with the Barnett G Mays Pioneer Award in 2022 by the Arkansas Association of Realtist INC.

On January 15, 1994, he embarked on a beautiful life with Sherrie Lucille Snowden, they shared 32 years of a story book journey.

George was known by family, friends and community as having a Big Personality, he had a way of creating profound memories with colorful words that could leave you speechless.

George leaves a host of friends and family that he impacted with his special personality. His devoted wife Sherrie Mays, Sons Gregory T. Mays and Barnett G. Mays, Daughter Valerie D. Mays, Brother Richard L. Mays, grands sons in order Micah D. Rollin , Gregory T. Mays and Eugene W. Rollin, Gaston T. Mays , Geordan T. MyKenzie Yvette great grands, Kion Lucas and Myka N. Johnson, Eugene William and Quiten and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family that truly loved him.