Jimmy Coward, long time resident of Butler, passed away on July 4, 2025, after a brief illness. Born on January 1, 1951, Jimmy was the youngest of four children.

After spending part of his childhood in Pasadena, Texas, Jimmy moved back to Butler with his family. He spent many hours with his extended family and developed a deep love for family events (especially those that included macaroni and cheese). As a young man, he spent many hours on the front porch of the home place in Howard, GA, sitting in the swing or a rocking chair watching the big trucks go by and always got a thrill when he would use the well known gesture for a truck driver to blow his horn and it worked! As he grew older, he loved to spend his days completely involved in the emergency services around the County as he avidly listened to his scanner. Jimmy always knew what was going on! Watching state highway truck was another favorite pastime. Another one of Jimmy’s favorite activities was when his niece, Ginger Edmondson would take him to ride at school dismissal time to see the school buses leave the “school house”.  The highlight of Jimmy’s years was when Mr. Eddie Moulton “Emo” would pick him up at Country Gardens to make a very “special delivery” in the fire truck to the annual Christmas tree lightening at the Taylor County courthouse. As he got older, a younger generation of the family would put him in the golf cart and ride him around the neighborhood so he could talk to his neighbors. When his health necessitated his move to a care facility, he loved being taken for rides around town to see the fire trucks and emergency equipment and to speculate on who was out on what call.

Jimmy is survived by his siblings, Pat Foster of Butler, GA, Linda (Hillery) Bone of Pensacola, FL,  Benny (Dee) Coward of Panama City, FL, Amelia (Steve) Jones of Butler, GA, and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and great-great-nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carolyn Taunton and Fred Coward, siblings Glynn Taunton and Dwayne Taunton. Jimmy was loved by all who knew him and will be greatly missed.

The following nephews will serve as pallbearers; David Windham, Wayne Edmondson, Tommy Martin, Damon Sanders, and Ryan Coward.

Graveside services will be held at Butler Memorial Cemetery, Butler, GA, on Monday, July 7, 2025 at 11:00 AM. The family will receive guests from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts benefitting Butler Methodist Church, P.O. Box 217 Butler, GA 31006.

McLeighton Funeral Service of Butler is in charge of arrangements.