A celebration of Life Service for Kaitlyn Nicole Mangum - Gast will be conducted at 11:00 am on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Saulters Moore Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Mark Miller officiating. Interment will follow in the New Chapel Cemetery in Collins. Kaitlyn passed away Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Hinds County. Saulters Moore Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, March 14, from 9:00 am until the hour of service at 11:00 am at Saulters Moore Funeral Home.

Kaitlyn will be carried to her final resting place by those honored to serve as pallbearers including Tommy Weeks, Ryan Chedotal, Christopher Burgess, Jesse Mansfield, Jeremy Gast, and Rayshun Magee.

Affectionately known as "Bugg" to the many that loved her, she was born on March 2, 2005, in Jackson, Mississippi to John Gast and Kiera Mangum.

Kaitlyn will be remembered as having a vibrant spirit that lit up every room she entered with her infectious smile. She had a love for athletics, including basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, and swimming. In addition to sports, she also had a passion for art and dance. Kaitlyn had been a student at the Puckett Attendance Center.

Kaitlyn put a lot of value in spending quality time with people close to her and enjoyed being with her friends. She also held a deep sense of compassion in her heart, and had been involved with homeless outreach. Her kind and giving nature resonated deeply in the lives she touched, reflecting the beauty of her character.

Some of Kaitlyn’s most treasured memories were centered around the time she spent in Destin with her Aunt Tasha. She found acceptance among her peers within the Destin United Methodist Church and looked forward to Wednesday nights spent with her youth group. In this coastal community, one of her proudest accomplishments was joining the deep-sea fishing team in Destin, a venture that allowed her to bond with her teammates while forging unforgettable memories against the backdrop of the Emerald Coast. Moreover, the beauty of the Destin beach was not just a location for her but a retreat where she found peace and happiness.

Kaitlyn will be profoundly missed by all those who had the privilege of knowing her. Her legacy of kindness, laughter, and love will continue to inspire and uplift those she leaves behind.

She is preceded in death by her maternal grandfather, Mark Mangum; and her paternal grandmother, Kim Busby.

She is survived by her mother, Kiera Mangum of Jackson; her father, John Gast of Ft. Myers Florida; her maternal grandmother, Alisha Burgess of Collins; a sister, Areanna Ramser of Destin, FL; her aunts, Tasha Weeks (Tommy) of Destin, FL, Rachel Chedotal (Ryan) of New Orleans, LA, and Nay Nay (Marley Mansfield) of Prentiss; and her Uncles, Jeremy Gast (JoJo) of Richland, and Josh Mangum of Leakesville. Kaitlyn also leaves behind a host of extended family and friends.

Online condolences and a guest registry are available at www.saultersmoorefuneralhome.com.