James Wilburn Spruell, Jr.

James “Jimmy” Spruell - better known as, “Stick” - will forever be, “The man. The myth. The legend.” Blessed with an infectious personality, contagious laugh, and magnetic enthusiasm, Jimmy will forever remain the kind of person you never forget. When he wasn’t singing and dancing through the house, he loved piddling in his tool shed, or sighting in his newest gun. He was a man of the highest energy, and his love for people bled through in his ability to soften even the hardest of hearts. Growing up amongst seven other siblings, Jimmy was the first and eldest son, known for his wild love of fun and deep sense of free- spirited adventure. To say that he was passionate is an understatement, as he never failed to command the attention of any room of his choosing. He was a great storyteller, and reliving his high school football and baseball glory days were some of his favorite topics. He never missed an opportunity to watch the Astros with his wife and best friend, Martha, where he could pay homage to the team that made him feel young, again and again. It was evident through his steadfast loyalty to his “great love,” Martha, that he looked forward to taking every opportunity to express his faithfulness and gratitude toward her nurturing presence in his life. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that her aching devotion to him was single-handedly what saved him from some of his more impulsive desires to remain the “rambling man” that he once was. Theirs was a testament of true love and the belief that opposites not only attract, but can reveal God’s beauty and balance through a sharing of different perspectives; furthermore, they never ceased to seek out personal growth through a love that was truly unconditional. Jimmy served in the Army during the Vietnam conflict where he was first able to demonstrate his unwavering patriotism for his country. He since had an outward appreciation for any and all that served to uphold our freedoms. There was never a time that Jimmy did not take the time to tell the people closest to him what a soldier’s impact made, as he wanted the children in his life, particularly, to prove respectful in all they did. He deeply loved his grandsons, as well as his many nieces, and nephews, and looked forward to every chance he got to playfully bop one of them on the head, wrestle, or have a dance-off. He was one-of-a-kind. And while the hole in our hearts can never be replaced, we should take solace in knowing that he is surely dancing in Heaven to every greatest Motown hit, and enjoying each and every unlabored breath that he now takes. He is survived by his loving wife, Martha Spruell; daughter, Jennifer Spruell O’Donnell and husband, Davidson; two grandsons, John and James O’Donnell; sisters, Cathy Brown, Lucille Nelson, Aimee McManus and husband, Mike and Stacie Babin; brother-in-law, Greg McKowen and wife, Georgie; and many beloved nieces and nephews, as well as a plethora of lifelong friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, J.W. and Mary “Mickey” Spruell; brothers, Herbie and Chad Spruell, and sister, Tina McKowen; brothers-in-law, Tim Ballard and Tommy Brown. Visitation will be at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA, on Saturday, September 10, 2022, from 8:30am until the time of funeral services at 11am. A special thanks to Father Uter, conducting the ceremony, for his lifelong devotion to the Spruell family. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to your favorite charity, or one of ours, “Tunnels to Towers.”