James died peacefully in his sleep on January 18, 2021, under the care of Covenant Hospice Inpatient Unit at Sacred Heart, due to end stage Parkinson’s Disease.
James was born June 23, 1943 in Mobile, AL and moved to Orange Beach, AL in 1945. He started fishing and hunting as a young child, becoming quite the avid sportsman. He and his best friend, Foster Childress, were rarely seen seen one without the other. There are stories of them wrestling alligators as young men!
James received the nickname “Smiley” from his friend, Foster. That stuck until his dying day. People would say he was always the serious one in the bunch and didn’t let things get to him.
He graduated Foley High School in 1961, where he was a varsity basketball player. He attended Troy University on scholarship.
After college, James returned to Mobile and worked at The Mobile Shipyard. He married Margaret (Barrie) Russell, the love of his life in June of 1970. When they had their daughter, Stephanie, in 1972, they moved their small family back to Orange Beach, where James again pursued his love of fishing. He had the Resmondo family build the original “Fairwater” charter fishing boat in 1976. Hurricane Frederick came in 1979 and changed Orange Beach Fishing as he knew it. James started working with Civil Service at Pensacola NADEP in 1982 until it closed in 1995. He, along with his friends, Foster Childress & Margaret Childress Long, opened Orange Beach Seafood in 1987 on Canal Rd.
The last 10 years of his career (1995-2005), as an Aircraft Machinist with the Department of Defense, were spent traveling the Middle East and Far East, enjoying different cultures, as he did his part to protect our country. He retired in 2005 and moved to Phuket Island, Thailand until 2009, when he moved to Pensacola to be near his daughter.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2009 and he fought the hard fight for 11 years. Parkinson’s Disease is much understudied and underfunded, with not many providers qualified to treat it appropriately.
James is preceded in death by his mother, Modean Whearley Huff of Orange Beach, AL; father, Chrles James Huff and his only sibling, Jack Roland Huff of Foley, AL, as well as his lifelong friend, Foster Childress.
He is survived by his only child, Stephanie Hillis (Roger) and his only grandson, the apple of his eye, Reagan, of Pensacola, FL. He is also survived by his niece, Paige Huff, of Montgomery, AL and nephew, Jesse Huff, of Foley, AL, as well as his best friend of 70+ years, Margaret Childress Long (Buddy), Brooks and Angie Moore, and their son, Finley, all of Orange Beach, AL and Wesley and Elizabeth Moore, their children, Libby & Gray, of Fairhope, AL.
A Celebration of Life fish fry and boat parade will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice, Covenant Hospice, 5041 N. 12th Ave Pensacola, FL 32504, (850) 208-7122, or The Parkinson’s Foundation.
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