Jimmy Wayne Hotchkiss
Jimmy Wayne Hotchkiss, age 74, passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2026. Jimmy was an avid outdoors man; he loved being in the nature of Alabama. He enjoyed mapping the Cahaba River and being involved with the Oak Mountain State Park. He was a strong family man and would do anything for anybody. He was said to be the smartest man that they knew. He was a hard worker and volunteered at the Chelsea Museum.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Harry Paul and Addie Mae Hotchkiss.
Jimmy is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Wanda Kay Hotchkiss; children, James Andrew Hotchkiss, Keri Michelle Moore (James Moore Jr.); grandchildren, Madison Nicole Hotchkiss, Mason Andrew Hotchkiss, Kody Edward Moore and Morgan Ashley Hotchkiss.
I will always be grateful for you and I will see you again. With all my heart, I love you.
I will always be grateful for you and all the lessons in life. I will see you again. With all my heart, I love you.
I would like to share a few memories I have with Jimmy over the many years we shared on the trail. I recall our first trip was in 1985 to a memorable place called Shinning Rock. Our attire was all cotton, so we were frequently cold and wet; no issue though as we were young and tough. More on that later. Our packs were of minimal design and function in those days, and we suspected that Jimmy’s was the heaviest, due largely to the cast iron skillet that he packed back in those days. Still, he slogged up the hills with the rest of us.
Our early trips in the ‘80s featured a lot of cold and wet, significant climbing, and regular discussions of our ”gear”. Jimmy’s was the most interesting. I recall he made his own tent and brought it on a few trips. Seemed to work as good as the pricy North Face products that dotted the hilltop campsites. Food choice was surely mentionable as well. Bacon, Jimmy always brought bacon. We all envied this culinary delicacy as we slurped down our first generation freeze dried….something or other. I vividly recall one trip when the morning pork frying attracted a bear, and he hung around for a while. And sugar…lots of sugar. Jimmy loved his coffee, as we all did, but Jimmy’s was a tad thicker, and certainly sweeter.
On one rainy trip in the late ‘80’s we had some scarry looking visitors on horseback with long guns arrive after dark at the shelter. My memory is a bit sketchy on the details, but I recall that Jimmy encouraged them to leave since we had the shelter. We may have been armed as well, again, details are still fuzzy.
As the years advanced, many “non family” types joined the group. Jimmy accepted them all with grace (except for that one guy) and they all loved having Jimmy on the trips. Well, he was a charter member along with Tony, Scott and me, so he had rank.
Jimmy was always the fire guy. As we set up camp, everyone doing their assigned chores, Jimmy initiated the inferno. We had many of those, some perhaps that would have caught the eyre of the local Federales. We’ll speak no more about this.
The new century saw us slowing down a bit, but nevertheless doing our fall and spring trips religiously. We were no longer young (or as young), but still somewhat tough. The food improved, but Jimmy still never adopted to the “new and improved” freeze dried stuff. I do recall he upgraded to steak however.
Throughout the decades I can count 20+ folks that joined our original group during the many hikes in the Appalachian mountains. I assure you that they all remember Jimmy quite well and cherish the memories we had during all of the ups and downs, cold and heat, snow and sleet, slips and falls and above all the wonderful campsite fellowship.
He shall be missed.