Harold E. Kimball, 85, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Saturday, January 26, 2019, at his residence.
Memorial services will be held 2 PM, Monday, January 28, 2019, at Central United Methodist Church in Fitzgerald, with the Rev. Dr. Richard Wright and the Rev. B.J. Funk officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service in the sanctuary on Monday.
Mr. Kimball was born November 28, 1933, in Fitzgerald, Georgia, to the late James Roscoe & Nell Dorminy Kimball. He grew up on the family farm and loved agriculture. His family made butter and took it into town to sell. This venture led to the purchase of Lile Brothers Dairy Products and the establishment of Kimball’s Dairy on East Pine Street by his family. Coming years would see the business grow and the need for more space moved the business to West Altamaha Street. Mr. Kimball was a 1952 graduate of Fitzgerald High School. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Dairy Science from the University of Georgia in 1956. While in college, he won the Virginia Dare Award for flavor discrimination in milk and ice cream manufacturing. As one of the top 10% of his Senior Class at UGA, Mr. Kimball was offered a commission by the Arnold Air Society and served his country honorably in the United States Air Force.
Mr. Kimball returned to Fitzgerald in 1959 with his wife Nancy where he resumed work at the family business as a vice-president, alongside his parents and brother Tom. He served as President of the Georgia Dairy Association from 1965-1967, the youngest person to hold the office at that time. In the early 1970s, Kimball’s Dairy was sold. Along with Bobby Floyd, Mr. Kimball purchased Dixie Electron from C.O. Durden, and he would go on to operate the business until the early 2000s when it was sold to Lowe Electric. Mr. Kimball was very civic minded having been a member of the Fitzgerald Lions Club for almost 60 years and having the honor of being named a Melvin Jones Fellow. He was a founder, director, and emeritus director of Colony Bankcorp, Fitzgerald and a former member of the Hospital Authority of Ben Hill County.
Mr. Kimball was a very active and devoted member of Central United Methodist Church where he was in the Action Life Sunday school class. He held most every office possible throughout his lifetime including chairing the Administrative Board, serving as treasurer for the United Methodist Men, and being a longtime Trustee. He spent many hours caring for the building and grounds as if they were his own. The church honored him on two separate occasions with Harold Kimball Day, two days where he and his commitment to Central were showcased. He also shared his love of Scripture by mentoring young men in the community in weekly Bible study. In recent years, Mr. Kimball was an integral part of Imagine Ministries, a joint-ministry in the community specializing in wheelchair ramps. Many of our fellow citizens now have respectable access to their homes thanks to the hard work of Mr. Kimball and the other volunteers in this ministry.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Nancy Rowland Kimball of Fitzgerald; daughter and son-in-law, Lesley & Alvin Parent of Valdosta; son and daughter-in-law, Mark & Dottie Kimball of Murphy, North Carolina; grandchildren: Matthew Heller of Nashville, Tennessee, Ansley Heller of Charlottesville, Virginia, and John Kimball of Jackson, Mississippi; a sister-in-law, Melanie Kimball of Irwin County; along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers: James Roscoe Kimball, Jr., Howard Kimball, and Thomas R. “Tom” Kimball and three sisters: Margaret Bruce, Dorothy Nell Dix, and Katy Ruth Branch.
The family suggests those desiring to send memorials may send them to Central United Methodist Church or to Imagine Ministries, P.O. Box 428, Fitzgerald, GA 31750.