James Edwards Durrett III (“Jim”) passed away in his home on November 24, 2017 at the age of 72.
Visitation will be at Greenview Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. with a memorial service immediately following in Greenview Memorial Chapel.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Helen and James Durrett II, and by his brothers Joel and John Hugh Durrett.
Jim is survived by his wife Kay, his children, Joel Durrett and Katherine Durrett Graham (Jeff), his sister Julie Porter (Rick), and his grandson Trip Graham. Jim grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana where he attended C. E. Byrd High School before heading to Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity.
After serving in the Marine Corp, Jim moved to Houston, Texas and began what would be a 40 year career in construction. While in Houston Jim’s best friend and college roommate introduced him to Kay Hatch, and the pair married in 1976. They would have celebrated their 42nd anniversary this March. Jim was a beloved husband, father, brother, and “Papa”. He loved his family more than anything, and they adored him in return. Jim’s other passion was serving his community. He was a member of Kiwanis International and Habitat for Humanity, serving as an officer and board member and putting his skills as a construction engineer to good use after retirement. Jim also loved sports, especially LSU and UNA football and baseball, though he had the most fun cheering on the Coffee High School girls’ soccer team while his daughter played. In his younger days Jim was an avid outdoorsman, taking his family on many camping trips and leading his son through Boy Scouts. He traded that hobby in for traveling in his later years, visiting Canada, France, Ireland, Greece, and Central Europe with his wife and his many friends. Jim’s proudest accomplishment was becoming a grandfather in 2014, a role that brought him more delight than he thought was possible. He was loved and will be missed by everyone who had the joy of knowing him.
