Jimmy Donaldson Mann, 87, of Huntsville, Alabama passed away on September 10th, 2026. He was born in 1938 in New Hope, Alabama. Jimmy was an award-winning salesman, an avid golfer, an athlete and outdoorsman, and a beloved family man.
As a youth, Jimmy honed his people skills running a shoe-shine stand in his grandfather’s barber shop, working at a cotton gin, and excelling in high school sports. When he graduated from New Hope High School in 1957, Jimmy pursued an education at Athens State College on an athletic scholarship for basketball and baseball. After college, he pursued a career at Sears and Roebuck, working in sales. Jimmy loved his job, and Sears loved him. He truly cared for his customers, always making sure they had the right thing for the right job.
Although Jimmy didn’t know it at the time, in 1945 his life changed forever when he met the love of his life, Anita June Keel. They were in first grade, and have been together ever since. He had the intelligence to marry her in 1959, and they embarked on a sixty-seven year partnership full of adventure, travel, golf, and children.
Jimmy was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. He loved to tell stories of hunting with his grandmother. Looking out for others, he often gave the fish and game to families in need, stopping by on the way home from a hunt. He loved to play golf with June, his family and friends, playing over 600 different golf courses in his lifetime.
Jimmy will be remembered by his children for his hard work, dedication, and perseverance. In recent years he has wholly dedicated himself as a caretaker for his beloved June. His grandchildren remember him as the “PawPaw” who was always along for their own adventures.
Jimmy is survived by his wife, Anita June Keel Mann; his sisters, Sharon Johnson and Judith Tabor; his children, Darrell Mann, Katherine (Ed) Gozdur, and Jonathon Mann; his grandchildren, Garrett (Lauren) Gozdur, Dr. Sabrina Mann, and Quinton Mann. He was preceded in death by his parents, James Allen Mann and Ophelia Donaldson Mann.
Visitation will be Sunday 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at New Hope Funeral Home. Services will be held at New Hope Funeral Home Chapel, Sunday at 3:00 PM.
Interment will be in Hayden Cemetery.
www.nhfh.net
