Funeral Services for James “Jimmy” D. Blackburn M.D., 87, of Jefferson, will be on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 2:00pm in the Cpt. Wm. Perry Chapel of Haggard Funeral Home with Rev. Mark Crim officiating. There will be a time of Visitation on Monday, January 6, 2025, from 6 to 8pm in the Cpt. Wm. Perry Chapel of Haggard Funeral Home.
James David “Jimmy” Blackburn, MD, a distinguished physician, dedicated community servant, and cherished family man, passed away peacefully on January 3, 2025, at 87. He departed this life in his grandfather’s cherished home, where he spent many joyful years as a child with TJ, hunting, and fishing, forming a lifelong connection to his roots.
Born on December 13, 1937, in Jefferson, Texas, in the historic “General Rodgers” home, Jimmy was the beloved son of JD and Lola Roberts Blackburn. A proud graduate of Jefferson High School, he earned the honor of salutatorian in 1955. He studied pre-medicine at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1960. His academic excellence was recognized through memberships in several prestigious honor societies, including Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Omega Alpha, and Mu Delta. He continued his medical education at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1961, where he was an active Phi Rho Sigma Medical Fraternity member.
During his hospital rotation at Medical Center Hospital in Tyler, Jimmy met the love of his life, Armitta Ann Sims. They married in 1961 and shared a remarkable 61-year partnership filled with unwavering love and support.
Dr. Blackburn’s surgical training at Parkland Hospital in Dallas shaped his career and placed him at the heart of history. As a member of the trauma team, he attended to Governor John Connally on the tragic day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. He became a founding member of the Parkland Surgical Society and achieved American Board of Surgery certification in 1969.
From 1964 to 1966, Dr. Blackburn served his country as a Captain and medical officer in the United States Air Force at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington, continuing in the reserves until 1971. Returning to Texas, he established a private surgical practice serving Jefferson, Marshall, and Linden from 1968 to 2003. He later served as the Marion County Health Authority from 2003 to 2020, embodying the dedication of an old-fashioned country doctor.
Affectionately known as “Cowboy” by his college friends, Jimmy was equally devoted to his patients and his love for cattle ranching. His heartfelt philosophy, “I love to see them get well, and I hate to see them suffer,” defined his approach to his medical practice and life. He was one of the last physicians to make house calls, always going the extra mile for those in need.
Dr. Blackburn was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Armitta Ann; his parents, JD and Lola; and his brothers, Thomas Jerry Blackburn and John Roberts Blackburn, MD.
His children survive him: James David Blackburn Jr. and wife Cheryl of Richmond; Patricia A. Blackburn and husband John P. Meyers of Jefferson; Robert Sims Blackburn and wife Tiffany of Scottsville; and William Patrick Blackburn of Jefferson. His legacy lives on through his grandchildren: Rebecca Claire Blackburn, Rachel McKenna Blackburn, Casey Lynn Leatherman, Elizabeth Ann Wilson, Eli Harrison Roberts, Luke David Roberts, Angalee N. Glass, Leo D. Meyers, J. Edward Meyers, Lauren Ashley Blackburn, Brooke Abigail Blackburn, Wyatt Dalton Blackburn, James (Jay) William Blackburn, and Austin Scott Blackburn. He also left many Great-grandchildren.
Jay Blackburn, Austin Blackburn, Eli Roberts, Luke Roberts, and Wyatt Blackburn will be pallbearers.
James David “Jimmy” Blackburn, MD, leaves a legacy of compassion, excellence, and unwavering dedication to his patients, family, and community. He will be deeply missed by all privileged to know him and whose lives he profoundly touched.