Jimmy Masdon

James Herman “Jim” Masdon entered his heavenly eternal home December 7, 2025. We are comforted knowing he is in God’s presence, where His perpetual light shines upon him. He served the Lord by sharing his faith, giving generously, and loving his family and others with his whole heart. One of a kind, Jim lived life to the fullest. He was an encourager, entertainer, master storyteller, optimist, and lifelong learner. A quick-witted linguist, his humor rivaled that of any comedian and earned him the nickname “Looney” in high school. A natural leader, Jim was a risk taker and visionary, qualities that served him well in the pioneering days of the mobile home business. His magnetism and larger-than-life personality were balanced by deep humility. Though he achieved success beyond his wildest dreams, he never forgot where he came from and took just as much pride in the success of his friends and colleagues in his own. He had the rare ability to view life through a lens of gratitude, knowing it could all disappear in a minute. He was the brightest light around. Jim was born July 9, 1938, in Haleyville, Alabama. In high school, he played both basketball and football. After one memorable football game, newspaperman R.L. Shirley called him “the secret weapon” because of his craftiness on the field. Jim graduated in 1956 and attended the University of North Alabama before landing his first fulltime job selling beauty and barber supplies. During the 1961 Berlin Wall Crisis, while serving in the National Guard Reserve, he was called to active duty in Fort Polk, Louisiana. While on leave from his post, Jim came home for a Christmas break and happen to meet a young girl that sparked his interest. That girl was Jeanette Mize. He went back to Louisiana after Christmas and soon after Jeanette went away to College in Abilene, Texas, but their romance continued to blossom through the letters thy wrote each other. Jimserved for a year before returning to Haleyville. In 1962, Jim “came back broke,” so Perry Counts offered him a job working at Frontier Mobile Homes. Perry took Jim under his wing and taught him the basics of business. “He gave a lot of us country boys who grew up with nothing the chance to do some things that otherwise we would never have gotten to do. I certainly was not the best choice he could have made, and I was not deserving,” Jim said later. For the rest of his life, he credited Perry for his own success and the success of the mobile home industry in North Alabama. Jim began at Frontier working in the flooring department and soon was relocated to the yard for final finishes on the homes “all the little bitty stuff”. He was quickly moved up to dispatcher and then sales, covering a territory that stretched from North Carolina to Miami. During his time at Frontier homes, Jeanette returned home from college for her summer break. The letter writing romance quickly turned into much more and they were married that fall on October 20 th , 1963. Jeanette said from the first time she met Jim “he made my knees knock”. The constant travel with Frontier kept him away from home and from his new wife, so a year later he accepted a position at Triple A Mobile Home Retail Sales in Huntsville, Alabama, selling mobile homes on a retail lot. In 1965, Jim became sales manager for Commodore Homes in Hamilton. In 1966, the legendary Don Tidwell tapped Jim for the general manager position for a new plant in Double Springs, Marriott Homes. When Don sold the business to a New York group in 1969, Jim resigned and started Winchester Homes in Winfield with partners Harold Bridges and Dale (Sid) Sanders. The partners opened a second plant, Modular Housing, in 1970, and two years later, sold both companies to Tufco in Tennessee. In the years that followed, Jim was the quintessential entrepreneur, launching multiple ventures in the mobile home industry. He started Masdon Mobile Market to supply plants with materials, built numerous warehouses that he leased to mobile home supply companies, and invested in mobile home parks in Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Cocoa, Florida. In 1982, Jim returned to manufacturing by starting Sunbelt Homes, Wheelhouse Homes, Riverchase and Mobile Max. Retirement came in 1996. Jim and Jeanette spent the first year building “Masdon’s Mayberry,” a home in Kinsale, Ireland, named for his favorite television show, “The Andy Griffith Show.” He and Jeanette lived there parttime for the next eight years. He loved the Irish people, the country’s landscape, and Kinsale’s laidback lifestyle. “Alabama Jim” and his many friends hung out in the pubs singing Irish folk songs, playing golf, and perfecting “his gift of gab.” He enjoyed being mistaken as Kenny Rogers throughout Ireland and to no one’s surprise he embraced the role with pride. After selling their Irish home in 2005, Jim spent his time building small park-model homes as a hobby. He took great pleasure in the creative process and liked to stay busy. A lifelong Alabama football fan, he collected memorabilia and enjoyed adding to his collection. For all his love of adventure, Jim’s favorite place was the home he and Jeanette built in 1974. He was happiest when the house was full of the people he loved. The laughter, celebrations, and memories made there are all a testament to a life well lived. He and Jeanette were married for 62 years( and according to her he still “made he knees knock”) and had three children, 12 grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. He adored them all and showered them with love. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Rebecca Jeanette Mize Masdon, children Suzie Masdon Link (Jim), Jenny Masdon Hollimon (Chris), and Jimmy Lee Masdon (Rebecca); grandchildren Caroline Link McLean (Peter), Mary Katherine Link, Patrick Link, Madelyn Link, Meredith Link, Andrew McCarley, Alexandra McCarley Wingo (Luke), Griffin McCarley (Allison), Luke Hollimon, Bradford Hollimon, William Masdon and Avery Masdon, great-grandchildren James McLean, Masdon McLean, Margaret McLean, Patton Wingo, Madeline Wingo, Kennedy McCarley, and Bennett McCarley, and brothers Sam Masdon, Bob Masdon, and Mike Masdon. Jim was preceded in death by his father, Samuel Lee Masdon, mother, Ella Fair Baughn Masdon, and sister Myra Masdon. The family will celebrate his life with friends and family Saturday, December 13, at 2:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Haleyville, Alabama. Visitation will precede the celebration from 12:00 to 2:00.

Jimmy Masdon

July 9, 1938 - December 7, 2025

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Jimmy Masdon

July 9, 1938 - December 7, 2025

About Us

What We Do

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Grief & Healing

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