James Harold McCool, passed from this life on January 1, 2020, while surrounded by his family singing hymns at his side, in his home in Zion Community near Gordo. He was born Dec. 7, 1939 on the family farm where he lived and labored his entire life.
Funeral services will be at 11am, Saturday, Jan. 4, at Zion Primitive Baptist Church, with Elders Chris & Tim McCool officiating. Visitation is from 6-8pm on Friday, Jan. 3 at Skelton Funeral Home in Reform, and 1 hour prior to the service on Saturday.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James Dewey and Gladys Crowley McCool, sisters Jannie McCool Coleman and Fannie McCool Taylor. He is survived by his beloved wife Diane Springer McCool, two sons, Chris (Sherri) and Tim (Tracie), 9 grandchildren, Meredith Owens (John Morgan), Madison Dunn (Heath), Austin (fiancée Julia Melvin), Ashleigh, Abigail, Mason, Asher, Elizabeth and Lila McCool, sister Lorene Deason (Mackie), beloved brother-in-law Ron Springer, special cousin Jimmie McCool, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers are Austin, Mason, and Asher McCool, John Morgan Owens, Heath Dunn, Seth Junkin, Hayward Malone, Max Parham, David Watkins, and Jimmie McCool. Honorary pallbearers are Elders Neil Honea, Luke Hagler, Buddy Abernathy, David Crawford, members of Bethlehem and Zion Primitive Baptist Churches, neighbors in Zion Community, Pickens County Farmers Federation Directors, Jimmy Parnell and members of the Alabama Farmers Federation, GHS class of 1958 and '57 football team, Alvin & Bonnie Hagler, Ken Dyer, Ralph & Robin Junkin, Joe & Claudia Lewis, Dr. John Brandon, Harry & Jamie Lazenby, Barbara Kucharski, Nickie Hammond, April Champion, Amanda Burns, Delphine Hughes, and Billy Cargile.
Harold was a lifelong cattle and poultry farmer, having followed in the footsteps of four generations of farmers before him. He maintained much of the original farm established in the early 1800s, including his grandfather's house built in 1918, which he and his wife restored. McCool Farms was named a Century and Heritage Farm.
Having graduated from Gordo High School in 1958, Harold played on the '57 football team coached by the legendary John Meadows, with whom he remained very close throughout his life. The team was undefeated and declared state champions.
He married his sweetheart Diane on Aug. 8, 1964, and they were blessed with two sons, Chris and Tim, and eventually two "daughters" he said they never had (Sherri and Tracie), when their sons married. His grandchildren were the blessings that made his life even richer.
Harold served on the Pickens County Farmers Federation Board as president and member, Pickens County Cattleman's Association, Pickens Academy Board of Directors, ALFA State Board of directors, and was instrumental in obtaining funding through ALFA for the Rural Medical Scholars Program. He also served on the Pickens County Hospital Board when the Pickens County Medical Center opened.
Harold was a member of Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church, where he was a faithful and devoted member. As a husband he was gentle and kind, as a father he was wise and patient, and as a grandfather he was a delight to his grandchildren. He was also a hero, having helped save a busload of farmers in Washington DC, when the bus driver tragically died while driving down the highway. Words would fail to describe the impact he had on his family, his church and his community. Though he will be sorely missed, the family rejoices in knowing his life and legacy in this world were only the title page, and he has now begun the first chapter of the great story which goes on forever, in which every chapter is better than the one before.
The family requests that memorials be made to Zion Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 90, Gordo AL.