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NATCHEZ —Former Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield’s death on Friday has many friends remembering him as someone with a great sense of humor who was focused professionally on “getting the bad guys.”

Mayfield was 71. He was elected sheriff in December 2009 and served until May 2015 when he was unseated by current Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten.

Prior to running for sheriff, Mayfield worked under Sheriff Tommy Ferrell in the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. He ran the department’s Metro Narcotics Unit for five years.

His daughter, Kaitlyn Stevens, confirmed Mayfield’s death. He had been suffering from an illness for more than a year.

“He was a great man, and he loved this community. He was a wonderful father and husband and was loved by his whole family and had lots of friends,” she said.

Adams County Attorney Scott Slover said Mayfield was a good friend.

“Chuck was likable and fun to be around. He had a great sense of humor and was always in a good mood,” Slover said. “I enjoyed hanging around with him. He was just a fun person.”

Slover and Mayfield became acquainted when Slover was working as an attorney in youth court and Mayfield was the youth court liaison with the sheriff’s office.

“As sheriff, he really wanted to put it to the bad guys,” he said. “He was much more interested in getting the bad guys than the administrative part of being sheriff. He was always vigilant and wanted to make the bad guys pay. I’m going to miss him. He was a really good friend of mine.”

Karren Ewing, the ACSO victims’ assistance coordinator and the sex offender registry coordinator, campaigned for Mayfield during his first term as sheriff.

“We had known each other since we were teenagers,” Ewing said. “About a month or so before the election, he came to me and told me he had made a position for me on his staff. He had talked to other sheriffs and to the Attorney General’s Office and told me he wanted me to be the victims’ assistance coordinator. At that time, there were only a handful in that position at the sheriff’s office level in the state.

“I told him I didn’t campaign for him for a job, and he said he knew that. He figured I was the perfect one for the job, having gone through so much with my son being killed. I already knew the system and knew what victims need before crimes reached the DA’s office,” she said.

Ewing said Mayfield was rarely without a smile on his face.

“Most of the time, he was laughing about something. He had a good-sized team who had been with him through the years. They loved to tell stories about working together and when they would get to laughing … He was a lot of fun. He was very laid back. Everybody flocked to his office when he came in,” she said.

Like Slover, Ewing said Mayfield was more interested in doing police work than managing the sheriff’s office.

“He still wanted to go out at nights with the narcotics unit, and he was out there most nights,” she said.

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten ran against Mayfield and won his first term as sheriff in 2015.

“I want to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of my predecessor, Sheriff Chuck Mayfield,” Patten said in a press release on Friday afternoon.

“While we may have been opponents in the past election, I have always maintained a deep respect for his dedication and service to our community. During his tenure, Sheriff Chuck Mayfield worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens, and his contributions have not been forgotten.

“My heart goes out to his family, friends and the entire law enforcement community during this difficult time. Let us honor his memory by continuing to work toward a safer and more just community for all,” Patten said.