Mr. Jimmy Kittrell of South Carthage departed this life at 12:45 a.m. Friday morning March 7, 2025, three days following his 83rd birthday. He had been a resident of the Smith County Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage where he was first admitted on January 31st as the result of a fall at his Old Sanders Road home.
Bro. Donnie Payne officiated at the 1 p.m. Monday afternoon March 10th funeral services from the Cartage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home. Burial followed with his parents and sister in the Kittrell family lot in section five at the Defeated Creek Memorial Gardens.
He was the only son of two children of the late Malcolm Rice Kittrell who died at the age of 97 on May 22, 2005 and Lillie Myrtle West Kittrell who died at the age of 95 on March 17, 2006 and was born Jimmy Douglas Kittrell at the former McFarland Hospital in Lebanon on March 4, 1942 and was reared in the Defeated Creek Community.
There will be military chapel services following the funeral services by American Legion Post # 5 of Carthage.
The Kittrell family will receive friends at Sanderson in Carthage only on Monday March 10th from 9 a.m. until the 1 p.m. services.
His sister, Patty West Kittrell Woodard, a longtime assistant at the former Dr. Robert Wright Dental Clinic in Carthage, preceded him in death on December 8, 2012 at the age of 79.
Mr. Kittrell was member of the graduating class of 1960 at the Smith County High School. His major was social studies and was a member of the Spanish club his senior year.
The statement made of him in the ’60 Owl annual was; “A choice young man, and goodly”.
His wife of just over forty-two years, the former Maxie Jean West preceded him in death on February 18, 2012 at the age of 67. They were united in marriage in December of 1969.
He was preceded in death by an infant son, Michael Douglas “Little Douglas” Kittrell who died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome at the age of two months on February 24, 1965.
Mr. Kittrell was a proud veteran of the Vietnam War and diligently served our country and received an honorable discharge on July 19, 1968 from Fort Lewis Washington located in Tacoma, Washington. He was inducted into the United States Army on August 2, 1966 in Nashville.
For his meritorious service, including ten months and twenty-five days in the Vietnam combat zone, he was awarded an expert Marksmanship badge with an M-14, the Vietnam Combat Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with one o/s Bar. His total service was one year, eleven months and twenty-five days. Mr. Kittrell was a recipient of the Agent Orange certification for disability under terms of the United States Government for his combat duties while in Vietnam.
Mr. Kittrell was educated in electronics repair and before his retirement he was a longtime repair technician for the T. V. department at D. T. McCall and Sons in Carthage. Following his being discharged from the Army he went to electronics repair school under the G. I. Bill.
After retirement at D. T. McCall & Sons he was employed with the late Frank Woodard in his roofing service.
Mr. Kittrell was of the Missionary Baptist faith.
Surviving is a daughter, Samantha Kittrell Rochefort of South Carthage; two sons, David Kittrell of Lafayette and James Kittrell and wife Jennifer of Nashville; twelve grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.
This obituary was published by Sanderson Funeral Homes, Inc. – Carthage.
This obituary was published by Obituaries provided free for the community.
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