Individual Details

Death

James H. Stafford, 94, of Mexico Beach, Fla., passed away on May 24, 2014, in Panama City, Fla. He was the husband of Frances (Furr) Stafford, to whom he was married for 74 years. Born in Kosciusko, Miss., on Nov. 6, 1919, he was the son of Jessica (Barrett) and Val Stafford. He grew up in the Delta, and often worked in the family grocery store in Hollandale. He was the fullback of his high school football team and won a football scholarship. In 1940, he met Frances. Marriage and daughter Margie followed soon after. James served his country during WWII and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash., with the 744th Engineer Company, where he was a heavy equipment mechanic and trainer and attained the rank of Technical Sergeant. He was honorably discharged in 1946. He returned to Mississippi, but like many of his generation, left home to follow the jobs. He worked on many of the big infrastructure projects of the era – TVA expansion, Oak Ridge National Labs and others. A longtime member of the International Union of Operating Engineers, he was a skilled Master Mechanic. His work took the family to several locations in the South and Midwest, with stops in Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida and Indiana. In Tennessee, son James H. Jr. was born. By 1959, James was working on the first jet runways at Chicago's O'Hare field. The Chicago area became home for over 20 years, where he was active in his Masonic Lodge and Local 150 of the Operating Engineers Union. After retirement, James and Frances moved to Mexico Beach, where his mother had lived her last years. He enjoyed fishing, camping in their motor home and home improvement projects. He loved animals and will be fondly remembered by the local cat population for the quality of his cuisine. In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughter Margie (Adams) of Fairhope, Ala.; son James H. Stafford, Jr. of Miami (Debra); three grandchildren, Amy, Bibiane and Derek; and two great-granddaughters, Grayson and Blakelyn. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to . A private memorial service is planned. 
Published in Panama City News Herald on June 8, 2014