James Nelson Northcutt, II "Jim"

James Nelson Northcutt II, “Jim”, 81, Gadsden, passed away after an extended illness on Sunday, October 25, 2015 at home. Jim was born in Bessemer, Alabama, on March 16, 1934, the seventh child of Enoch Lafayette and Lillie Belle Northcutt.

After graduating from Bessemer High School in 1952, Jim attended Birmingham Southern College graduating in 1956 with a degree in liberal arts. Jim’s post-graduate work included a Master of Divinity from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1958, a Masters of Science in Foundations of Education from Troy State University in 1971, and a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University in 1975. In 1982 Jim received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Livingston University.

Following his graduation from Emory, Jim served as a Methodist minister in Florence, Birmingham, and Saks, Alabama. In 1968 Jim became a Division Director in the Department of Post Secondary Education for the state of Alabama, in Montgomery, where he worked until he retired in 1991. Following his retirement from the state of Alabama, Jim moved to Gadsden where he was involved in a number of small businesses in the area.

Jim was an avid golfer and former member of the Gadsden County Club, where he enjoyed golfing and the camaraderie of his friends. He was a lifelong Alabama football fan. When asked how he squared this with his Masters degree from Auburn, and the fact his four sons graduated from Auburn, he would say, “We don’t talk about that.” Jim never met a stranger or a party, especially football, that he did not like.

The extended Northcutt family will forever be grateful to Jim for organizing and hosting family reunions over the years. As one of seven children there are numerous nieces, nephews, spouses, great-nieces, great-nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews. Thanks to Jim, even though the large, extended, Northcutt family is spread all over the place everyone remains close.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Enoch and Lillie Belle Northcutt, his siblings Leona Northcutt Harper (Roy E. Harper), Walter Glenn Northcutt (Willie Mae Northcutt), Mildred Northcutt Nutter (Jefferson B. Nutter), Enoch Lafayette Northcutt, Jr. (Mary Enid Lloyd Northcutt), William B. Northcutt, and Barbara Northcutt Guyton (Jack Guyton).

Jim is survived by his wife Kathy Mace Northcutt, his sister-in-law Sherri Armstrong Northcutt, his brother-in-law Michael McBride (Jean), his sons James Nelson Northcutt (Marian) of Atlanta, Roy Harrison Northcutt of Rainbow City, Reid Lambuth Northcutt (Jane) of Birmingham, and John David Northcutt (Mary Kay) of Chattanooga, his daughter Julie Northcutt of Montgomery, Stacey Mace Fail of Gadsden, and his grandchildren Helen Northcutt White (Parker), Leah Northcutt Ambrose (Stephen), Georgia Riley Northcutt, Reid Hamilton Northcutt, Andrew Harrison Northcutt, Natalie Jane Northcutt, Levi Fail, Christopher Oetting and Jennifer Dooley.

The family would like to thank Traci Walker, AlaCare Hospice, Dr. Webb Sledge and his nurses Vicki Bynum and Peggy Parrish (deceased).

Visitation will be held at Collier-Butler Funeral Home on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Jim’s burial will be in Evergreen, Alabama, on November 7, 2015. At Jim’s request a memorial service will be held at a future time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions go to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.collier-butler.com