James Walter Hazlewood “Jim,” age 90, a longtime resident of Winona, Mississippi, passed away peacefully on Monday, February 16, 2026, surrounded by family at the home of his daughter in Senatobia, Mississippi. He was a devoted son, husband, and father, as well as a loving grandfather and friend and will be greatly missed.
Jim was born in Gibson County, Humboldt, Tennessee, to Maurice and Inez Hazlewood. He married Betty Bennett on December 21, 1958, in Trenton, Tennessee.
He was a graduate of Humboldt High School and Mississippi State University. At Mississippi State University, Jim was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, The Society of Mechanical Engineers, and ROTC, where he held the position of ROTC Army Cadet Captain Second Battalion.
After college, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army as an Armored Tank Unit Commander and served honorably, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant.
Jim was employed as a chief industrial engineer for major companies in the apparel industry, including McGregor Sportswear, US Industries, Banlon, and Laguna Sportswear, and later as an independent consultant.
He was an avid golfer and talented artist who enjoyed drawing and watercolor painting. In his later years, he enjoyed working in his yard and spending time with family.
Jim was a member of the Winona Rotary Club. He was a Methodist and a member of the Humboldt First United Methodist Church and Moore Memorial Methodist Church.
He is survived by his daughter, Beth (David) Adams; three granddaughters, Sarah (Simon) Smith, Emily Kathleen Bunce, and Mary Alice (Greer) McArthur; a great-granddaughter, Meredith Smith; and a great-grandson, Bennett McArthur, due in June. He is also survived by a daughter-in-law, Deandra Hazlewood; two sisters-in-law, Patti Bennett and Patsy Hazlewood; and four nieces, two nephews, and a host of great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Maurice Goodloe Hazlewood and Inez Carmack Hester Hazlewood; his loving wife of fifty-nine years, Betty Bennett Hazlewood; his son, Lee Bennett Hazlewood; his brother, Hallum “Hal” Hazlewood; and his brother-in-law, Hugh Taylor Bennett, III.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday, March 21, at 10:30 a.m. at Oakland Cemetery in Trenton, Tennessee. Reverend Kenneth Allen (Ken) Smith will officiate the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his name to The American Heart Association, National Center, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 7523 online https://www.heart.org/en/ or Moore Memorial Methodist Church, 201 Magnolia St., Winona, MS 38967 online at https://moorememorialmethodistchurch.com/give.