Jimmie Kuykendall

Jimmie Andrew Kuykendall NORTHPORT - Jimmie Andrew Kuykendall, age 66, passed away April 19, 2017 at Hospice of West Alabama. Services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 22, 2017, at Magnolia North, with Dr. James Nichols and Dr. Ken Cheek officiating. Interment will follow at Salem Cemetery in New Lexington with Magnolia Chapel Funeral Home North directing. Visitation will be Friday, April 21, 2017, from 6-8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Jimmie was preceded in death by his parents, Clay T. and Dorothy Kuykendall; his brother, Davis Kuykendall and his in-laws, Farris and Maebell Butler. Survivors include his wife of almost 47 years, Janice Butler Kuykendall, who was his soulmate, his high school sweetheart, and the love of his life; brother, Jerry Kuykendall (Melba); sister, Denise Johnson; his closest and dearest friends for 37 years and family at heart, Greg and Cindy Long and their sons who he adored, Connor Long ("Homer"") and Hayden Long ("Hot Rod"); his aunts, Mary John Kuykendall and Wilma Davis; W.C., Bennie (Elaine), Douglas (Jennifer), Lavell, and Tim (Teresa) Butler, Frances Ferguson (John), Brenda Snow; and numerous precious nieces and nephews that he often claimed as his own. Jimmy was born in Tuscaloosa County on November 30, 1950. He was a 1969 graduate of Northside High School and graduated from the first session of the Police Academy on December 23, 1972. He was a police officer with the Tuscaloosa Police Department from 1972 - 1997, where he retired as a Lieutenant. He then worked for the City Credit Union for two years before working at the City of Tuscaloosa Revenue Department for eleven years, from which he retired permanently in 2011. Jimmie was a private person and, in general, a man of few words, but when he loved - he loved deeply. Jimmie loved children, always having a piece of bubble gum on hand for them. He loved animals - all kinds of animals - often picking up strays and bringing them home. He loved westerns, usually saying "they don't make 'em like that anymore" as they went off. He loved sports and travelled with the Long family to many SEC stadiums to watch the Tide play. He especially loved watching Connor and Hayden play basketball and baseball from T-ball through high school. He loved their teammates and their families, their friends and their coaches. He welcomed a good game of baseball in the front yard any day, even if it did kill the grass in spots. He loved cars - old cars, new cars, antique cars, classic cars - anything with wheels. He loved going to the car shows, where he made many great friends and drooled over a lot of good looking cars. Jimmie was diagnosed with a rare type, Stage IV, cancer in 2010, and was given very little hope. He was determined from the beginning to fight it with everything he had - and he did for 6 1/2 years. He never, ever gave up, never complained, and fought with dignity and every ounce of his strength until there was no more. He was still looking forward to the upcoming car shows. His goal was always to "live with cancer, not die from it'' - and that he did. Pallbearers will be some of his dear friends, Franks Collins, Ronnie Honeycutt, Danny Mattison, Charles McAteer, Larry Robertson and Larry Swiney. Honorary Pallbearers are Teresa Robertson, Donna Collins, Cherry Mattison; Wanda Swiney; Harriet Honeycutt Ray and Yvette Clark, Leon Hallman, Kenny and Joyce Long, Marvin Gregory, Danny, Nancy, Chase and Dakota Dyer, Roland and Donna Pugh, Tony and Melanie Dutton, former Crimson Cruisers and fellow classic car lovers and car show travelling buddies, Bojangle's Thursday morning coffee group, past and present Northside High School faculty, staff and students, NHS classes of 2011 and 2016 basketball and baseball players, parents and coaches, April Sound and Four Winds neighbors; Chapel Hill Baptist Church family, CHBC WINGS ladies bible study group, Tony Brown Sunday school class, past and present employees of Tuscaloosa Police Department, City Credit Union and City of Tuscaloosa Revenue Department, Dr. John Dubay and staff, Dr. John Summerford; M D Anderson Cancer Center - Houston and Tuscaloosa; Hospice of West Alabama outpatient and inpatient employees and ALL the many, many friends we have made over the years. In lieu of flowers, you may consider a donation to Hospice of West Alabama, Chapel Hill Baptist Church Building Fund, Eagles' Wings, Inc. or a charity of your choice if you would like to do so to honor Jimmie's life.