James Dudley Spinks Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

James Dudley Spinks was born April 7, 1931 in Thomasville, Alabama to James Talmadge and Lillie Belle Spinks. His life-long love of Alabama football began around the age of seven, when he and his father started going to games together. During high school, Dudley played football, basketball, and baseball, and served as the Class Editor for the yearbook. He was also voted “best dancer” and “most popular” his senior year. After high school, Dudley began doing road work for the State of Alabama in Gulf Shores. At this point he knew he was likely to be drafted, so he and his best friend joined the Army National Guard, a decision that would guide his future and the trajectory of his career. Months after joining, his unit was activated and he was sent to Fort Stewart in Georgia for training. While on weekend leave, he and his friend came back home to Alabama and were sitting in a cafe talking with a group of girls. After some time chatting, he asked one of them out on a date, and she accepted. A few weeks later, at the age of 19, Dudley asked the love of his life, Loretta, to marry him. They wed at a small ceremony in Grove Hill, Alabama on June 3, 1951. They were well-matched, though even Dudley would proudly admit that Lo was the better dancer. Following training at Fort Stewart, Dudley was stationed at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan where he and Loretta welcomed the birth of their first child, daughter Linda. From there he deployed to Korea as a Master Sergeant, spending 16 months oversees. On his return stateside, he and small family were stationed in New York, before being transferred to Fort Bliss, Texas, where they welcomed their second daughter, Sheryl. While in Texas, Dudley attended Air Defense School and was recommended for Officer Candidacy School. He was accepted and his family was on the move again, this time to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After completing OCS in 1958, he was sent oversees to Bamberg, Germany where he and Loretta welcomed their third daughter, Jamie Beth. He was then appointed to command of a Nike Hercules Nuclear Missile Project near Detroit and they returned to the States. He deployed to Vietnam in 1966 and served oversees as a Captain at the Bien Hoa American Air Base and Long Binh Army Post. After his tour in Vietnam, Dudley was stationed at Homestead Air Force Base in Miami before transferring to the Netherlands, where he worked in the NATO AFCENT (Allied Forces Central Europe) Operations Center from 1969 to 1970. During his years of service, Dudley was awarded the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Services Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, United Nations Medal, and the RVN Armed Forces Medal, among other commendations. Major Spinks was discharged in 1970 after twenty years of proudly serving his country. Dudley and Loretta then moved back to Alabama, with their three daughters, to settle in Mobile. He began working for the Mobile County School System teaching ROTC, eventually supervising the program for all Mobile County Public Schools for 19 years from Barton Academy before retiring in 1990. In retirement Dudley found the third love of his life: wood working. He drew on his years of attention to detail and patience, appreciating the complexity and challenge that building things presented. He spent countless hours building furniture, creating sculptures out of found wood and objects, and making intricate games and puzzles. Rarely was there a day that someone would stop by to visit that they wouldn’t find him in his garage-turned-workshop, happy to show off his latest project. Despite the high level of craftsmanship he achieved, he never wanted to sell his creations. They were always given away as gifts to family and friends, a hallmark of his generous heart and thoughtful nature. Perhaps the greatest joy for him was celebrating holidays and special occasions with Loretta, his daughters, and their families, which expanded to include grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who he loved to spend time with. He is survived by his daughters, Linda “Micki” (George) Spinks Brown, Sheryl Spinks Bell, and Jamie Beth Spinks Allgood; grandchildren, Alyson (Brian) Koblas Kruse, Homer “Sonny” (Ashley) Allgood, Evey (Matt) Bell Owen, Kristin Brown, and Aimee Brown; and five great-grandchildren, Aryanna, Zeke, Ethan, Henry, and Damian. He loved them all dearly. Dudley was preceded in death by his sister, Madge Spinks Megginson; and his loving wife of 63 years, Loretta Ann (Lee). Reunited once more, they are now surely dancing.

Tributes

James Dudley Spinks

April 7, 1931 - February 4, 2021