James Robert Shults Jr.

James Robert Shults, Jr. (Jim/Jimmy), passed away Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the age of 82, born in Cosby Tennessee June 23, 1944, Jimmy spent most of his childhood with his grandparents. After graduating high school, he attended Hiwassee College and the University of Tennessee before enlisting in the Air Force.

Jimmy’s military service spanned 20 years. As a crypto maintenance specialist, his career took him and his small family from one side of the country to the other, and across an ocean to Japan. It also took him away from his family for a year while he did a remote assignment in Korea.

Jimmy’s real passion was his family, his hobbies, and his dogs. He grew up hunting and fishing with his cousins. He found new adventures and challenges in shooting skeet so he and his wife joined the Skeet Club in Japan. Then he discovered photography. A closet became his darkroom and for years he staged photo shoots with his family, even learning to create double exposures. He loved to read, especially old textbooks, and took great pride in his extensive collection of hunting books.

When he retired from the Air Force Jimmy brought his wife and kids back to East Tennessee to be closer to extended family. He began a second career as a mail handler for the Post Office. This was when he and his wife discovered their love of genealogy. For the next 30 years his time off was spent in libraries, historical centers, and cemeteries. They devoted hours, days and sometimes weeks researching a single ancestor. He was proud to be a member of First Families of Tennessee and the Sons of the American Revolution. Above all, his greatest happiness came from spending time with his grandchildren.

Jimmy is survived by his wife Helen Gail Shults; their children, Mary (Jim) Blevins and Stacy (Jamie) Dickerson; their grandchildren, Candice (Matt) Wade, Caitlyn (Jordan Mack) Blevins, and Olivia (Courtney)Collins, and their great grandchildren Charles, Leighton, and Jackson. He is also survived by his sisters Wanda Adams, and Charlene Gregg and his brother Freddy Carl Patton.

He is preceded in death by his parents James Robert Shults, Sr and Mary Patton, his sister Donna Griffin, his grandson Dylan Dickerson, and his nephew Jeremy Adams.

Family and friends will gather to honor the life and legacy of James at McCarty-Evergreen Funeral Home, 7426 Asheville Highway, Knoxville, TN 37924, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with a visitation from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, with a funeral service to follow at 7:00pm, a committal service will be at Eastview Memorial Gardens, 1320 Andrew Johnson Highway, Strawberry Plains, TN 37871, on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 11:00am, Rev. John Fox to officiate the services. All attendees are welcome to attend a reception following the committal service at First Baptist of Strawberry Plains, 3100 W. Old Andrew Johnson Highway, Strawberry Plains, TN 37871.