Jim Gazaway, 86, of Owens Cross Roads, passed away Wednesday. Born in Atlanta, GA to Arthur and Mildred Gazaway, Mr. Gazaway received a B.S. degree from Georgia Tech in 1956 and was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He was also a graduate of the Insurance Institute of America. After graduation, he was employed by the Hartford Insurance Company and was sent to Birmingham as a Special Agent. While in Birmingham he was President of The Shades Valley Jaycees. He was selected in 1964 as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America.
He moved in 1965 to Huntsville to manage the Davis-Cummings Insurance Agency. This agency later merged with the John Scott Agency and he was named President of Cummings, Gazaway, and Scott Insurance Agency. They later merged with Gene Gardener and Ed Pate and he was President of Cummings, Gazaway, Gardner, and Pate until the agency was sold to Community Bank.
Jim was past president of the Lions Club, Independent Insurance Agents of Huntsville and The Huntsville Country Club. He was also a past member of the Board of Directors of the Huntsville Madison County Red Cross Association and The Independent Insurance Agents of Alabama. He was a member of The Agents Advisory Boards of Hanover Co., Hartford Insurance Group, Aetna C&S, The Travelors, and St. Paul Insurance.
He was preceded in death by his son, James Gary Gazaway, and stepson, Charles Kennamer. He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Myra Davis Gazaway; daughters, Michelle Van Dyke (David) of Maitland, FL, Julie Sprague (Gary) of Birmingham, and Lindsay Grissom (Benny) of Birmingham; stepson, Kenneth Kennamer of Friendswood, TX; brother, Richard Gazaway (Sue) of Atlanta, GA; 11 grandchildren; 21 ½ great-grandchildren; many cousins in Atlanta.
Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25th, at First Baptist Church Chapel. The funeral service will follow at 1:00 p.m. in the church chapel with Travis Collins officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery. (www.laughlinservice.com)
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Children’s Building Fund.
