James F. (Jimmy) Waddell, Jr. was born in Marianna, Florida on February 10, 1940, to James F. Waddell, Sr. (Jim) and Beatrice R. Waddell.  He passed away peacefully in the Center for Compassionate Care at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (Big Bend Hospice) on July 19, 2024.

Jimmy was a lifelong resident of Franklin County.  The Waddell family moved to Franklin County in 1947.  Having acquired property on the Apalachicola River that included a private rod and gun club, the family opened it to the public as Bay City Lodge, which they operated until 1957.

Jimmy graduated from Chapman High School in 1958 and attended Chipola Junior College in Marianna.  He worked summers with J.V. Gander Distributors and George D. George Seafoods.

While the Waddell family’s tenure at Bay City ended after the premature death of his father (1956), the Big River called Jimmy to reestablish a presence in the fish camp business.  From 1961 to 1963 Jimmy and his wife Melanie (Toonie) built Waddell’s Lodge just up the river from Bay City, which they operated until the mid-1970’s. The Waddell’s catered to a vast and varied client base from all around the country, and often hosted what would have been regarded at the time as giants in the fishing world.  This, however, did not change Jimmy’s approach to customer service of hard work, with a friendly down-home atmosphere and a determination for their trip to be a memorable one.

Construction of the fish camp molded the next phase of Jimmy’s life story, where he learned to operate heavy equipment.  He owned and operated Waddell’s Fill Dirt and Land Clearing until his retirement in 2002.  This venture earned him the affectionate nickname “Fill Dirt” by one of his son Jim’s closest friends, Palmer Philyaw.

Jimmy loved the outdoors, and cherished time with lifelong friends, including hunting trips with the Navy Base (Panama City) guys to Colorado, camping on Lake Seminole, hunting camp near Chipley, Florida, time on the houseboat, and trips with Toonie to North Carolina.  One of his most memorable trips, and one he spoke of often, was a couples cruise to Alaska.

Jimmy is survived by his wife of 62 years Toonie Waddell and son Jim Waddell, his grandchildren Nicholas James Waddell and Mary Catherine Waddell, sister-in-law Rosemary “Bootsey” George and numerous cousins living throughout Florida.  He was preceded in death by his parents James F. Waddell, Sr and Beatrice R. Waddell and daughter-in-law Lisa Dart Waddell.

Services will be held August 3, 2024, 11:00 am, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 79 6^th Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made in memory of Jimmy to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32308.  To give online, please visit https://bigbendhospice.org