Obituary of James Langdon Hubbard

James Langdon Hubbard died at his home at the age of 75 on June 2, 2024, with his four daughters at his side. Langdon, as he was called by family and friends growing up, was a 1966 graduate of Winterboro High School, where he was a lineman on the football team. He went on to study at Jacksonville State University, where he was slated to play football as a freshman but a back injury from which he never fully recovered prevented him from joining the team. He graduated in 1971 with a degree in political science. In 1971 he married a shy brunette named Carolyn Peters, who was as sweet as she was beautiful. She would be his loving and devoted wife for 38 years and continue to show love and compassion for him until the time of his death. Together they had four daughters, Lorrie Shelnutt, Jaime Hubbard, Meredith Hubbard, and Katy Hall. In 1979, Langdon, by then known as Jim in the business world, started Hubbard Realty, a small company in Birmingham that he would eventually grow into one of the largest family-owned realty companies in the state. Hubbard Properties Incorporated is now a robust real estate conglomerate with interests throughout Alabama. Success aside, Langdon said time and time again that his favorite thing to do was help people. And there are no doubt innumerable people reading this right now who can attest to that. His help came in the form of charitable donations, particularly in his beloved Renfroe community, political contributions, and loans, gifts, and favors to friends and family. His generosity played an integral role in the establishment of the new Renfroe Volunteer Fire Department on Renfroe Road. Hepzibah Church also benefited as a testament of Langdon's faith and love of his community, as well as the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind in Talladega, Alabama. Langdon's work ethic and business acumen took him far from where he grew up in a modest two-bedroom farmhouse shared with his family, which included two brothers and seven sisters, but Renfroe always had his heart. He spent the years acquiring more and more land around the home in which he grew up and spent his weekends cultivating it into the most beautiful pastureland in the state of Alabama. The drive down Renfroe Road with his pristine farm and grazing cattle in view is as much a part of his legacy as his business, his children, and his grandchildren. These things, in addition to unbreakable bonds with his siblings and his Christian faith, are what he would call his greatest accomplishments. Langdon loved boating, fishing, and driving around the farm with his daughters and grandchildren. He was always up for a good meal with family or friends. He found it hilarious to let someone out at a fast food restaurant to use the restroom and then drive around the building, watching from around the corner with a devilish grin as they exited in confusion, worried they had been left behind. Probably his greatest joy, though, was work, hard work, the kind that leaves you stinking and aching at the end of the day. And he loved the men who worked with him, "my guys" as he called them. In addition to his daughters and sons-in-law Scott Shelnutt, David Hale, and Nate Hall, Langdon is survived by 10 grandchildren in whom he had great pride: Bradey, Jonah, Zoey, Milly, Ruby, Nolan, Christian, Lola, Willa, and Carolee. His loss is also deeply grieved by his siblings Nancy Tomlin, Katherine Burkhalter, Devan Roberts, Gale Wood, Tony Hubbard, Charlyn Loveless, and Bethany Hubbard. Langdon is preceded in death by his father James Anthony, his mother Kate Thomas, his sister Sarah Faye, his brother Ralph, and his best friend Joe Tom Armbrester. The pallbearers are Jeff Dew, Donny Atchley, Kenny Blanton, Ben Montgomery, Chuck McCulloch, Jorge Rodriguez, Lazaro Rubio, Antonio Terry, Selmer Moore, and Jose Antonio Nunez. Visitation for Mr. Hubbard will be at Usrey Funeral Home in Pell City, AL from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. The funeral service will be at Usrey at 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, with a graveside service to follow at Hubbard Cemetery on Renfroe Road. Floral remembrances are welcomed or memorial contributions honoring the life of of Mr. Hubbard may be directed to Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (www.aidb.org/give). Condolences may be offered online at www.usreyfuneralhome.com. Usrey Funeral Home of Pell City is assisting the family.