Harry Jack Sims passed from this life on February 10, 2020. The oldest of nine children, he was born on March 2, 1929 in Excel, Alabama, to his parents Wilburn and Lois Sims. He was a Mobile resident for the remainder of his life after moving to his beloved city in 1940. Always the dutiful and devoted patriot, he served in the army from 1951-54 during the Korean War and later in life was instrumental in the erection of the Korean War Veterans Memorial monument at Battleship Park. After returning home from service, he opened, owned, and operated the Mobile Egg Company until his retirement in 1991. He was passionate about baking, traveling, crossword puzzles, and good food and greater conversations at Cracker Barrel, The Dew Drop, The Tiny Diner, and Bake My Day. But more importantly, he was compassionate: to his parents, his siblings, his sons, his grandchildren, his friends, his Veterans—to strangers who weren’t unfamiliar for long.
He was known as “husband” to his wife Dolores Terry Sims, whom he married on September 3, 1955. He was known as “father” to his three sons: Harry Scott Sims, Robert Norton Sims, and Richard Terry Sims. He was known as “Granddaddy” to his eight grandchildren. He was known as “brother” to Charles, Madeline, Diane, Pam, and Louise. He was known as “uncle” to countless nieces and nephews. He was known as “friend” to countless more. No one title was treasured, or valued, or revered over another. He was Harry Jack Sims precisely because of his dedication to and pride in all the many hats he wore, all at once, all day long. The pure and immense joy that he had for his innumerable kin, friends, and acquaintances was always contagious, always reciprocated, and never negotiable. If you met him once, then you knew him for life. His family was never definitively biological, but rather an expansive net of love that he cast far beyond the Gulf Coast. To know him was to be his family. We will always be related to him—all of us.
Harry Jack Sims is preceded in death by his wife, Dolores; his parents, Lois and Wilburn N. Sims; and his brothers Artemis (Patsy), Maxie (Margaret), and Terry (Brenda). He is survived by his sons: Scott (Julia); Robbie (Lori); and Richie (Debbie). He is survived by his brother Charles (Pat) and his sisters Madeline (Tony Leonard), Diane Crawford, Pam Roberts, and Louise (Paul Locke). He is survived by his grandchildren: Jessica (Kyle Owsley), Alex (Julianne), Mallory, and Jack; Emily and Kevin; and Madison and Molly. He is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, companions, and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Korean War Veterans monument repair through Battleship Memorial Park. Donations can be made through the USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park page on Facebook, or the following link: https://www.facebook.com/USSALABAMABattleshipMemorialPark/posts/10159438421408128
