James Thomas Roper, age 88, of Rainbow City, AL, passed away on December 17, 2024.Tom was born in Etowah County on April 4, 1936. He graduated from Glencoe High School in 1954 and earned his degree from Jacksonville State University in 1976. Tom was an Eagle Scout and a U.S. Army veteran, serving in Germany. He retired as a steel worker, where he was employed in the cold strip lab. A lifelong student of history, especially World War II, Tom was also an avid reader, golfer, bowler, and pool player in his younger years. He was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, where he volunteered for Meals on Wheels, Manna of Gadsden, Kairos Prison Ministries International, and Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, he was an organ donor and contributed more than 10 gallons of blood to the Red Cross.
Tom is survived by his wife of 62 years, Betty Gail Roper; sons James Thomas (Lisa) Roper Jr. and Jeffery Dale (Tammie) Roper; daughter Elizabeth Roper (Paul) Panik; grandchildren William Paul (Rachael) Panik, Benjamin Scott (Brittney) Roper, Michael Thomas (Peyton) Panik, Andrew Wesley (Molly) Panik, Abigail Claire Roper, and Isabella Hayden Roper; and great-grandson Wesley Thomas Panik.
Friends and family are invited to a memorial service, reception, and visitation at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter in Gadsden, AL, on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at 1 p.m. Interment will follow at the Holy Comforter Columbarium, with Rev. Carl M. Saxton II, Rector of the church, officiating.
Honorary pallbearers will include Milton Blevins and his grandchildren.
The family extends special thanks to Ginger Brown, CRNP, and the staff at Raines Family Medicine; Super Bee Pharmacy; and Amedisys Home Health.
Memorial donations may be made to the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter in Gadsden, AL; Manna of Gadsden; or Kairos Prison Ministries International in Madison, AL.
