James Oliver Hebert Jr.

Jimmy was born in Ruston, Louisiana to James and Dessie Hebert on January 5, 1930. He attended school in Mansfield, graduating in 1946. After a summer at Louisiana Tech University, he transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU) where he majored in Chemical and Civil Engineering. In 1950, he received his commission and was called to U.S. Air Force active duty in April 1951. He completed electronics and guided missile schools and served in the Air Force for 2 years.

After the Air Force, Jimmy worked for Slumberjay and Magnolia Petroleum before returning to LSU to complete his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He was then hired by Convair and worked on the B-58 Hustler supersonic bomber before enrolling at Texas A&M University for his doctorate in Electrical Engineering. After earning his doctorate, he taught at Mississippi State University (MSU) as a professor of Electrical Engineering for 18 years. At MSU, he built and taught courses in Electric Fields and Microwave Theory, and built a state-of-the-art microwave systems laboratory.

Jimmy was proud of his civilian service to the U.S. Department of Defense, where he spent 19 years working as a subject matter expert in Radio Frequency (RF) systems and RF propagation before retiring in December 1994. In this role, he served many agencies across the federal government, built multiple antenna receiving systems, and spent time teaching at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado as a visiting professor.

His hobbies included working with his hands to build or repair things: radios, televisions, air conditioners, car engines, and cars. Jimmy would repair anything. He taught his kids, “you can do anything if you put your mind to it.” Throughout his adult life, he owned Imperials and Chrysler Imperials - buying them in order to repair and restore them. As a teenager, Jimmy drove Ford Model A’s, which inspired him to spend part of his retirement years restoring one from the ground up - a feat that was not for the faint of heart. He achieved this goal in 2017 with the help of his friend, Osvaldo Moya.

Jimmy loved to travel, explore, and camp. As a professor, he worked 9 months of the year and enjoyed spending the other 3 months traveling all over the USA with a camper and young family in tow. His faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior was a foundational tenet of his life. Jimmy was a prayer warrior who prayed multiple times a day for his family, friends, the sick and in need, and his country.

He was married to his first wife, Ardys June Nelson Ecklund Hebert, in July 1953. They were married for 44 years, raising 4 children; James III, Cherilyn, John, and Mark, in a loving and caring Christian home. Ardys passed away in 1997 from cancer. He married Virginia Singletary that same year and moved to Benton, Louisiana. Virginia and Jimmy were blessed to find their church family and beloved Sunday School class led by Mel Harju at Cypress Baptist Church. Jimmy and Virginia enjoyed a happy 19 years together before her death in 2015 from Alzheimer's. Eight months later, he married Carolyn Lane and they spent a blessed 8 years together prior to her death in 2024. He was always blessed by the women in his life. Jimmy was a devoted, loving husband, caring for each of his wives and being with them daily until the end.

Jimmy is survived by his children; Cherilyn (John) of Sorrento, Florida; John (Gigi) of Laurel, MD; Mark (Jan) of Denham Springs, LA; his grandchildren: Layton, Lauren (Andrew), Chris (Grace), Amelia (Sly), Matthew, Ian (Penelope), Anne Marie and Elise Hebert; and his great grandchildren: Liam and Anna. He is preceded in death by his wives: Ardys, Virginia, and Carolyn; his son, James III; and his sister, Barbara.

The Celebration of Life will be held at Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, LA Saturday, August 8, 2026. Visitation will begin at 9AM with the service to follow 10AM.

The family would like to express their deep gratitude and sincere thanks to the community that surrounded and meant so much to Jimmy. Thanks to Jose, Osvaldo, and Laura for their friendship and years of service. To neighbors Scott and Angela, Curtis and Paula, and the members of Cypress Baptist for being his extended family. To the staff at Cypress Point Nursing and Rehabilitation center for providing such excellent care to Jimmy for over a year. To Michelle, Rachel, Suzanne, Denise, and Jacqueline for being ever present and caring for his every need. And to Dana, for your regular visits and brightening his days with wonderful food and snacks.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jimmy’s name to Cypress Baptist Church; online at https://cypressbaptist.org/give, or by mail at Cypress Baptist Church, P.O. Box 340, Benton, LA 71006.