Obituary of Jimmy Lee Campbell

Jimmy Lee Campbell of Ragland, Alabama was born on July 6, 1942. He passed away on April 24, 2020 at the age of 77. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leey and Ellen Campbell; brothers Kenneth “Dawford” Campbell and Roger “Wildman” Campbell; and a grandson, Justin Tyler Lang. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Linda Campbell; 5 daughters, Donna (Randy) Barber, Vicky (Mike) Alexander, Sherry (Danny) Lang, Cindy (Shawn) Seawright and Kelly (Jeff) Deason, all of Ragland; 10 grandchildren, Stephen, Jason (Trista) and Bradley (Kimberly) Barber, Allison (Charlie) Swindall, Kristen Alexander, Haley (Bobby) Bearden, Jacob Lang, Taylor Seawright, Courtney (Jon) Tidwell and Jackson Deason; 10 great-grandchildren, Chelsea, Skyler, Aubrie, Avereigh, Brayden and Brinley Kate Barber, Mason Murphy, Hunter and Raeleigh Swindall and Piper Tidwell, and an 11th great-grandchild to be born in November. Mr. Campbell was a 1960 graduate of Ragland High School. He began his employment with the State Highway Department and from there to National Cement Company, where he worked for 30 years, retiring in 1999. He was a member of Hardin’s Chapel Church. He belonged to many organizations that were true to his heart including the Steel Workers Union Local 44 and the St. Clair County Sports Hall of Fame. He served as a Ragland City Councilman and was named Ragland School Volunteer of the Year. Over the years he received recognition for many of his accomplishments. He was inducted into the Alabama State Softball Hall of Fame and the St. Clair County Sports Hall of Fame. The Ragland High School softball field was dedicated to Jimmy and his beloved friend, Phil Champion. His favorite honor of all was when the Dnalgar Yearbook was dedicated to him in 2008. His sports records and the things he did for the programs were well known, but the yearbook dedication was from the students for the things that he did behind the scenes that he never talked about and that not many knew about. It was from kids that may or may not have played a sport, kids that he would meet in the hallways and take time to acknowledge and make them feel special, kids that he would sneak a snack to who could not afford one, kids he bought shoes for if they needed them and couldn’t buy them, or gathered pretty clothes for a sweet girl in need to make her feel special. This is the other side to a man who did things for others that didn’t have anything to do with looking after his athletes. Some of his favorite hobbies included mens slow pitch softball, fishing, hunting squirrels and playing horseshoes just to name a few. His deep passion for sports teams such as the Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball, Alabama Football, Alabama Softball and, on the top of this list, the New York Yankees. But the ones that ranked above even this nationally known Major League Baseball team were the Ragland High School sports teams. Without a college education, he would become the winningest coach in St. Clair County history as a volunteer. He coached the very first girls fast pitch softball team but for only one year,as he would say it was too fast paced for him. He always preferred slow pitch. He coached not only school athletes but also enjoyed coaching ladies slow pitch softball for many years. He has coached generations of families. He always said that a college education is important, but it can’t teach life skills. He felt that before you teach skills, you teach discipline and life lessons. Due to a failing heart he finally had to let go of things that brought him much joy. Jimmy was a unique person that will truly be missed. If he was your friend you had him for life. He knew people from everywhere and everybody knew him. There was never a place he would go where he would not try to find a connection to someone. All the pretty nurses over his many hospital stays would be quizzed with the same questions like where they went to school, if they knew this or that coach,”with those long legs” did they ever play basketball? They never knew they would be the ones interrogated. He had to find a connection. A true socialite! You knew you were special when you received your yearly birthday call. In his collection of things, many things, was his Ragland Band Calendars. They would eventually be compiled into a master list with phone numbers. He loved to call everyone but even better he loved to receive one for himself. His family would have a notebook and pen sitting right beside his phone where he would keep his list of birthday calls received. Each year he would get a kick out of the number of calls he would get. His family would call with the overlapping calls because they might not get a call through for hours but they had to get on his list. He loved lists! He was so great at everything he touched. But his truest legacy was the family he created. He adored his children, grandchildren and those great-grandchildren. There will be tons of fun memories for these kids who loved his every adventure, such as riding in the golf cart, his coaching them in sports, making a competition out of everything, counting flags or “doodle bugs” when you were in a car, playing basketball in the hose with a clothes basket and a tennis ball, and breaking lots of items in the house from said basketball games. There were his midnight runs for the famous Krystal burgers, vacations with no destination as the rule of this adventure would be for each of his daughters to say to turn right, left or go straight, and riding in the back of a truck to Florida gave a beautiful tan. One of his daughters’ favorites was called Daddy’s skip day in which you received a free day from school. A book could certainly be written from the adventures of Jimmy Campbell. It would be huge. And now, to his beloved wife, who was the true meaning of the term help-mate. A jewel. A Proverbs 31 lady. She was his number one cheerleader whose favorite hobby was doing everything in her power to stand behind him in every aspect of her life. The behind the scenes legacy that she was the creator of. She supported him and loved him with the utmost respect. Everything he loved, she loved helping him with more. Baking hundreds of biscuits for his fundraisers, cooking meals for countless hospitality rooms, and following him everywhere he wanted to go to watch his girls play ball. With his many hospital stays she never left his side. The coronavirus was devastating to her because this last admission was one she had to leave him. It was heart wrenching for her that she might not be with him in those final precious hours. With many prayers from everywhere we were rejoicing when we could bring him home, for mom. His first night back home, with her small bed was right next to his, they were back together at last. When asked how he slept he smiled sweetly and replied, “Pretty good, she held my hand and rubbed my arm all night. I didn’t really get much sleep because she rubbed my arm all night long”. And he had that little grim that let you know that he didn’t want to sleep; he wanted to savor that precious moment. Our family legacy began with this beautiful woman – his wife- our mother-our grandmother. Even in his death he is still making history as he was the first person to have a drive-in funeral service in this area. The family would like to say thank you to Usrey Funeral Home, Hardin’s Chapel Church, Bro. Doug Ford, Bro., Mike Allums and Rodney Daffron. A Jimmy Campbell Memorial Scholarship Fund has been set up for an athlete at Ragland School from the St. Clair County Sports Hall of Fame. In lieu of flowers, an account has been set up through Metro Bank that will eventually be donated to the Ragland High School Lady Devils Sports, basketball and softball. Condolences may be offered online at usreyfuneralhome.com. Usrey Funeral Home, Pell City, was in charge of arrangements.