Jimmie Lee Tompkins

Obituary For Jimmie Lee Tompkins

OBITUARY

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV)

Jimmie Lee Tompkins, another handsome son of thirteen siblings, was born December 5, 1935 to the late Mr. Vanderville and Mrs. Carrie Lee Tompkins in Birmingham, Alabama. He departed this life on January 19, 2022.

Jimmie Lee, “Jim”, known to his siblings; “Uncle Jim”, to his many nieces and nephews; Castro to his wife and the love of his life, Ruthie Jean; and “Big Jim” to numerous friends in his extended family, was reared by his parents in the Powderly/Ishkooda Community. He accepted Christ at an early age and was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church Powderly.

Jim attended Powderly Elementary School, graduated from Wenonah High School, and attend a full year of college. Influenced by his older male siblings, Jim joined the military and served in the United States Army from June 23, 1958 to June 22, 1960 and received honors as an Army Veteran.

Opportunity presented itself for a move to Los Angeles, CA. Jim joined several of his siblings there and made it home. He married and to that union, 3 children were born, Shelia Darnell, Lee Vanderville, and Jimmie Lee, III.

Jim later moved back to Birmingham, AL to assist his parents with the family business, Tompkins Nursing Home (Powderly/Ishkooda). Jim worked there until the business was sold. Jim followed the entrepreneurial path of his parents and built and operated the Half Acre Lounge until he retired. The business operated in the neighborhoods of Powderly/Ishkooda and served as a place for friends and family to gather and enjoy one another. Not only that, Jim used the business as an opportunity to teach and influence generations of young adults to work hard (as he had seen his parents do) and pursue opportunities and dreams that would afford them and their families abundant lives. Many of Jim’s loved ones preceded him in death, recently, Mollie Margaret (2/4/2021) and Carrie Lee “Little Sister” (8/26/2021). Those left behind to continue to celebrate him, his wife, the love of his life, and his best friend, Ruthie Jean; his daughters, Eloise Crenshaw, Shelia Darnell Tompkins, Latonya (Deris) Pearson, Cassandra (Ollice) Allison, Karen (Willie) Watkins, Tameka Pettway; his sons, Lee Vanderville Tompkins, Jimmie Lee Tompkins, III, Nick (Valerie) Pettway; his sisters, Stella Johnson, Atlanta, GA, Naomi Collier, Newport News, VA; his sisters-in-law, Estella Tompkins, Los Angeles, CA, Jeanette Tompkins, Knightdale, North Carolina, Diane Tompkins; and a host of grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.