Lt. Col. (Ret.) James "Jim" Ernest Roberts Jr., of Jacksonville, Ala., died Oct. 31, 2025. He was 88. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at Crestwood Memorial Funeral Home in Gadsden, with funeral to follow, the Rev. Derek Staples officiating. A burial with military honors will follow at Crestwood Memorial Cemetery.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Mary F. Durham Roberts, who resides at Legacy Village in Jacksonville, and sons Michael J. Roberts of Jacksonville, Chris (Melissa) Roberts of Tuscaloosa, and Dan (Joy) Roberts of Peachtree City, Ga. Grandchildren are James Roberts of Tuscaloosa, and Anna Roberts and Reese Roberts of Peachtree City.

Better known as Jim or Sonny, he was born on June 25, 1937, in the textile mill village of Sycamore as the only child of James E. Roberts and Margaret "March" Roberts. The family moved to Gadsden and later Hokes Bluff, where he and Mary met in sixth grade. She was a cheerleader and he was a three-sport athlete at Hokes Bluff High School, where his all-state talent as a running back led to a football scholarship at Arkansas State University. After a year there, he returned to Alabama to attend Jacksonville State University, earn an Army commission through ROTC, and marry the love of his life.

He served in the Army from 1959-79. He was awarded the Army's Legion of Merit in 1979, and earlier a Bronze Star for his work to stem drug addiction among soldiers in Vietnam. His service included three years on the ROTC staff at Jacksonville State, where he won a national teaching award from the American Defense Preparedness Association and was JSU's military alumnus of the year in 1976. He graduated from the U.S. Command & General Staff College and earned a master's degree in counseling from the University of New Mexico.

His post-military career started and ended at Jacksonville State, from running its Fort McClelland program to serving as a career counselor. He also worked in personnel and safety roles with Rockwell International, Boeing, Tape Craft, and other area manufacturers.

He served multiple terms on the board of Anniston's Regional Medical Center, including a term as chairman.

He was a charter member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Hokes Bluff. He served as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Jacksonville for most of the last five decades, and he a stalwart prayer warrior there and as head of the prayer committee of the Calhoun County Baptist Association.

Jim was a man of God, a clotheshorse, and a child of the Great Depression. This revealed itself through his cheerful giving of shirts and ties to hundreds of people over the years – all bought at the best possible price.

Memorials can be made to the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville's building fund, 301 Henry Road SW, Jacksonville, AL 36265.