The family of one of Vicksburg’s most loved lawmen wants his legacy of service and caring to continue.

Last month, family members of Randy J. Naylor Sr. incorporated a foundation in his honor on what would have been Naylor’s 61^st birthday.

“I wanted his memory to go on,” his son Randy Naylor Jr. said.

Randy Naylor Sr., a longtime juvenile investigator with the Vicksburg Police Department, perhaps best known for his caring attitude toward children, died in November.

“We want to offer youth services throughout the city. We want to provide opportunities and scholarships to some of the youth and their families,” Randy Naylor Jr. said of the purpose of the foundation.

People had approached him about running for his father’s seat as constable, but he didn’t feel it was the right move to make.

“I told him, I feel like you need to start a foundation and do something bigger,” his wife Tonya Naylor said.

On Tuesday, the foundation takes its next stop by hosting its first mixer from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Wine House, 1408 Washington St., said Tonya Naylor.

“We wanted to make sure that we used a venue that was small enough to mingle but we also wanted to use an up and coming business venue and The Wine House seemed perfect,” she said.

The event will help bring together community members who are interested in the foundation and those who already offer services for children, she said.

“We don’t want to be the one group who does everything. We want to help the people who are already in place to help the children the way they know best,” she said. “We’re going to find a way to provide as many grant opportunities in the city as possible.”

One of the projects the foundation has in mind is a day of service for high school seniors, Randy Naylor Jr. said. Others include helping students fill out college applications and potentially creating a program from first-time homebuyers, he said.

“We want to offer youth services throughout the city,” he said. “We want to provide opportunities.”