Sidney Thomas McDaniel

Dr. Sidney Thomas McDaniel, age 77, of Starkville, Mississippi, died Sunday at his home in Starkville.

Dr. McDaniel was born October 15, 1940, in Memphis, and was the son of John Thomas McDaniel and Grace Marie Hurst McDaniel. He attended Forrest City High School and graduated in 1958. He was a Professor at Mississippi State University, where he had received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. He received his doctorate degree from Florida State University. He belonged to the Institute for Botanical Exploration and had spent time in the Amazon River Valley and rain forest gathering plants for medical research. His collection for plant identification is in the Botanical Institute in St. Louis, and he identified plants for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. His plant collection from all over the world was over a million. He was a member of the Episcopal Restoration Church in Starkville.

Dr. McDaniel is survived by one brother, John Louis McDaniel, and wife, Constance, of Forrest City, one nephew, John Brian McDaniel of Forrest City, and two nieces; Elizabeth Hoskyn of Stuttgart and Rebecca M. Green of Fort Worth, Texas. He had one sister, Mary Jane McDaniel who preceded him in death.

Services for Dr. McDaniel will be held Graveside, 10:00 A.M., Wednesday, at the McDaniel Cemetery, 360 SFC 732, Forrest City, Ar. 72335. All friends are welcome to attend. Stevens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. You may log on to stevensfuneralhome.net for the on line registry.