JAMES CLIFFORD BRUMBELOE, JR. PASSED AWAY AT DECATUR GENERAL HOSPITAL THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 23RD, 2025. AT THE AGE OF 74.
HE WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 26TH, 1950. TO JAMES CLIFFORD BRUMBELOE, SR. AND MARGARET LOUISE DOTSON IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. JAMES WAS AN EXEMPLARY STUDENT IN HIS EARLY YEARS. EXCELLING ESPECIALLY IN THE AREAS OF LANGUAGE ARTS, MATH AND SCIENCE AND CONSISTENTLY ACHIEVED GOOD GRADES.
JAMES PROUDLY SERVED HIS COUNTRY IN THE MILITARY. SPECIALIZING IN IMAGE INTERPRETATION AND DRAFTING FOR THE U.S AIR FORCE. HE FOUGHT BRAVELY IN THE VIETNAM WAR AND WAS DISCHARGED HONORABLY IN 1974 WITH A FINISHING RANK OF SERGEANT. HE HAD AN IMPRESSIVELY LONG CAREER AT WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION. WHERE HE WORKED AS AN ENGINEER FOR 41 YEARS. HIS DEDICATION TO HIS WORK WAS SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY. BEING WELL KNOWN IN THE PLANT FOR HIS KEEN PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS AND NEAR PERFECT PUNCTUALITY AND ATTENDANCE. HE WAS AN ATHLETE AND TOOK AN INTEREST ESPECIALLY IN BASEBALL. HE WOULD FREQUENT THE LOCAL BATTING CAGES AND AMAZING, COULD BAT IN THE 90-MPH CAGE. HE HAD A HEAVENLY MINDEDNESS ABOUT HIM AND LOVE FOR THE LORD. His FAVORITE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE WAS IN PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 4. VERSE 8: FINAL, BROTHERS, WHATEVER IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS HONORABLE, WHATEVER IS JUST, WHATEVER IS PURE, WHATEVER IS LOVELY, WHATEVER IS COMMENDABLE. IF THERE IS ANY EXCELLENCE. IF THERE IS ANYTHING WORTHY OF PRAISE. THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS.
BEYOND HIS PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS. JAMES WILL BE REMEMBERED UNMISTAKABLY, FOR QUICK AND CREATIVE HUMOR. HE COULD COME UP WITH A NUMBER OF MOSTLY HILARIOUS JOKES ON THE FLY THAT WERE CONTENT-APPROPRIATE, CREATIVE, AND WELL-TIMED. ANY HEARER COULD CLEARLY PERCEIVE HOW PROFOUNDLY INTELLIGENT HE WAS AFTER JUST MINUTES OF
COMMUNICATION WITH HIM. HIS ARTICULATE SPEECH, RECALL OF HISTORICAL EVENTS, LOGICAL MATHEMATICAL MIND, AND JUST OVERALL WIDESPREAD KNOWLEDGE OF THINGS ACADEMIC AS WELL AS SPATIAL WERE A MARVEL. IN HIS LONG LIFE OF CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AND DEDICATION TO SERVING HIS COUNTRY, THE THING MOST WORTHY OF NOTE WAS HIS DEVOTION AS A FATHER AND BROTHER. IN EVERYTHING HE SET OUT TO DO HE SAW IT THROUGH TO FULL AND RICH COMPLETION. THIS TRUTH ABOUT JAMES WAS HIGHLIGHTED MOST SUCCINCTLY IN THE WAY THAT HE LOVED HIS DAUGHTERS AND BROTHER. HE TOOK GREAT CARE TO INTENTIONALLY SHOW AFFECTION AND LOVE TO THEM AND MEET THEIR NEEDS THROUGHOUT EVERY PHASE OF THEIR LIVES. BEING ON THE RECEIVING END OF SUCH A PURE AND HIGH-LEVEL DEVOTION HIS DAUGHTERS WOULD BEST SUMMARIZE THEIR EXPERIENCE OF IT IN THIS WAY: “HE TAUGHT US HOW TO LOVE.” HIS BROTHER WOULD SUM IT UP IN THIS WAY: “HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO PLAY.”
JAMES IS SURVIVED BY HIS DAUGHTERS ASHLEY BRUMBELOE (HUSBAND ROY SHADRICK) AND AMBER EDWARDS. HIS BROTHER WILLIAM (BILLY) BRUMBELOE (WIFE DEBBIE). AS WELL AS MANY GRANDCHILDREN.
HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS FATHER. JAMES CLIFFORD BRUMBELOE, SR., HIS MOTHER MARGARET LOUISE BRUMBELOE, AND HIS SISTER CAROL DELON ELDER.
HIS MEMORY WILL BE FOREVER CHERISHED AND HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.
