By Staff
December 20, 2007
Jay T. "Gabby" Hellums, 84, of Albertville died Dec. 20.
Funeral services were held Dec. 22 at Deaton Funeral Home in Belmont, Miss. with burial following at Highland Cemetery in Tishomingo.
Jay was born June 8, 1923 in Dennis, Miss. He entered the Marine Corps on Oct. 27, 1942 and served in the Central and Southwest Pacific from April 1943 to April 1945 where he participated in action against the enemy in Guam and the Marianas Islands. For his service he was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon American Theater and Victory Ribbon, as well as the Honorable Service Lapel Button for his devotion to duty.
Jay worked across the United States as an ironworker rodman from May 1952 to July 1988 and was a member of Ironworkers Union in Sheffield for much of that time.
Some of the more memorable construction sites he worked include, TVA in Muscle Shoals, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, nuclear power plants in Grand Gulf and Iuka, Miss, Cape Canaveral Space Center and Swiss Family Robinson exhibit in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
Jay loved and enjoyed the simple things in life, from fishing to sports – especially his Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Braves. Most importantly was his ever-present love for his family.
He is survived by his wife, Anne Hellums, of Albertville; brother, Kenneth Hellums, of Littleville; sisters, Eileen Ross and Francis Barnett, of Russellville; son, Jerry Hellums, of Jackson, Tenn.; daughters, Priscilla Cunningham and Jana Link, of Memphis, Tenn.; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Lula Mae Hellums, of Russellville; son, James Hellums, of Tupelo, Miss.; sisters, Maverine Arnold, Eula McDonald, Vera Blount and his half-brothers and half-sisters.