James Robert Durall Sr., “JimBob” to many and “Jabaw” to his family will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him. He leaves behind a sister, five children, eleven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and a legion of others influenced by him during his lifetime from February 23, 1936, until September 23, 2023.
Jim Bob lost his wife of 65 years, Ann Davis Williams Durall, in 2022, after her lengthy fight with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was also preceded in death by his parents, James Woodburn Durall and Nova Elnora Nicholson Durall. His family was a point of pride, and his professional life was remarkable. From his more humble beginnings in Muhlenberg County, to his eventual retirement from a C-suite position with TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority), his career path spoke volumes about his ability to learn, grow, and to make things happen. His abilities showed outside work as well.
To say that James Robert Durall was a “car enthusiast” would not accurately describe his aptitude for things complex, mobile, and or mechanical. He built and restored a number of antique classic vehicles during his lifetime that were not only beautiful but were equally road worthy. (During June of 2018, at age 82, Jim traveled in one of his antique beauties more than 3,000 miles to Dearborn, Michigan from Jupiter, Florida. He and long-time friend, James (Jimmy) Webber, also founded and operated D & W Enterprises, a resource for fellow classic car hobbyists in search of hard-to-find automotive parts. He faithfully attended the annual car meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania where lines of participants would form near his lawn chair to ask advice about his specialty: Columbia Rear Axles.
A 1954 graduate of Bremen High School, he went on to the University of Kentucky to earn his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. First working for the Kentucky Highway Department following graduation, JimBob accepted a position with TVA in 1963 and moved to Knoxville, Tenn. In 1967, the family temporarily lived in Palo Alto, Calif. for the completion of Jim’s Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering at Stanford. TVA recruited him to the Chattanooga position of Assistant Manager, Nuclear Power in 1974 and he later returned to Knoxville to accept the position of Chief Financial Officer. He retired from TVA in 1988 and remained in Knoxville until he and Ann relocated to Jupiter, Florida during 2017.
For all his accomplishments, “Jabaw” will be best remembered by his loved ones for being a diehard Kentucky Wildcats fan, for always knowing what was wrong with everyone’s cars, for his dedication to Atlanta Braves baseball, for kiddie rides in the “rumble seat”, for creating his famous beans and cornbread dinners, for his brewing “Jim Bob’s Black Lightning” beer, for his remarkable singing voice, and for his intense enjoyment of a house full of noisy family members (viewed at a safe distance from his favorite easy chair)!
Survivors include his sister Eleanor Durall Moore; his five children Leslie Durall Harvison (David Harris), James Robert Durall, Jr., William Austin (Ana) Durall, Sarah Holly Durall (Rodney Miller), and Eleanore Hope Durall (Andrew) Rommel; grandchildren Tiffany Durall Woltzinek, William Austin Durall, Jr., Jonathan Russell Durall, Ann Williams Durall, Andrew Thomas Harvison, Cory Robert Durall, Alexandra Durall Riddle, Thomas Charles Durall, Isabel Grace Rommel, Marilyn Ann Rommel, and Owen Lalor Rommel; great-grandchildren JT Riddle, Alivia Riddle, Elliot Durall, Lucy Durall, Caroline Durall, Kate Durall, and Josie Durall.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, October 21, 2023, in his hometown of Central City, at Tucker Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. with a celebration of his life at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider sharing a “JimBob” story with the family! Online condolences may be made at www.tuckerfuneralhomes.com.
