Jimmy Calloway Vinson of Atmore, Alabama, passed away on December 14, 2017, after an extended illness. He was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth Turner Vinson; his father Marvin Marzette Vinson and mother Mary Maude Davis Vinson; his sister Madge Vinson Lyons and his brothers Marvin Marzette Vinson, Jr. and John Houston Vinson.
Jim was born in Snowdoun, Alabama on December 20, 1933, and grew up in the Montgomery area. He attended high school at Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, where he was active in ROTC. In his senior year, he joined the U.S. Navy and became an aircraft airframe mechanic. He served four years in the Navy from 1952 to 1956 as an enlisted seaman.
After leaving the Navy, Jim attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn), then transferred to Troy State College, where he received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration in 1959. There at Troy, he met Mary Elizabeth Turner of Atmore. They were married in June 1958, and they enjoyed 53 years together before her death in 2012.
Jim moved to Atmore. Alabama in 1959 and began work at Chemstrand Corporation in Cantonment, Florida as a supervisor. He then worked as a shift supervisor and assistant manager for Vanity Fair in Atmore. He left Vanity Fair for United Bank of Atmore, where he served as a loan officer and branch manager for the Flomaton branch. He then joined Samco Products of Atmore as a plant manager.
After retiring from Samco, Jim devoted his time to his family and managing the family farm in Robinsonville. Jim enjoyed hunting, particularly turkey, dove, and quail. He had many interests and skills, and he put those to good use in helping his parents-in-law, children, extended family, friends, and neighbors with building or repair projects. He enjoyed woodworking and carpentry and participated in mission trips coordinated by the Escambia County Baptist Association to help repair Baptist churches damaged by hurricanes and storms in Jamaica and Hawaii.
Jim was a founding member of Escambia Academy, and he worked with various Atmore civic clubs and organizations. Jim was active in Robinsonville Baptist Church for over 50 years, serving as song director, deacon, adult Sunday School teacher, and as a tenor in the choir.
Jim is survived by his brother William Kenneth Vinson, sister Jeanette Vinson Lamberth; son Richard Keith Vinson (Miriam), daughters Lynn Vinson Raybon (Kevin) and Lori Vinson Nesmith; granddaughters Jennifer Vinson Craft (Lee), Jessica Anne Nesmith, Caroline Vinson Eldridge (Caleb), and grandson William Garrett Nesmith; and great-granddaughter Mia Leigh Craft.
The funeral will be held at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in Atmore on Monday, December 18, 2017. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. and the service will be at 12:00 noon. Interment will follow at Sardis Baptist Church cemetery in Wawbeek.
In lieu of flowers, Jim asked specifically that donations be made to one of the following:
- Robinsonville Baptist Church General Fund
P.O. Box 856
Atmore AL 36502- Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery Fund
116 Ed Thomas Road
Atmore AL 36502- Kindred Hospice Foundation
3350 Riverwood Parkway - Suite 1400
Atlanta GA 30339
Published in The Birmingham News on Dec. 17, 2017.