James Daniel Groover, Iii

James Daniel Groover, III, age 69, of Savannah, Georgia passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

Jimmy was born to Mable R. Bunnell and James Daniel Groover, Jr. in Savannah, Georgia in 1954. When he was young, Jimmy moved with his mother and stepfather to south Florida and grew up in Lake Worth, Florida. He graduated from Lake Worth Community High School. After graduation, Jimmy moved back to Savannah. A woodworker by trade, Jimmy owned and operated a cabinet company for a number of years and later went to work at Gulfstream Aerospace. At Gulfstream, he started in the cabinet shop and managed the completion center wood shop and retired in 2005.

Jimmy did not like the retired life and started a sign company shortly after his retirement and operated it for several years. During that time, he worked side-by-side with his sons, Jimmy and Jeff, and built a large customer base manufacturing and servicing signs across Savannah and the surrounding areas. After a number of years, Jimmy decided to retire again – only to come out of retirement again to enjoy his new job as full-time grandpa. He made many trips to Florida to cheer for his grandsons, JJ and Jackson, and enjoyed the times they spent riding the jet skis, going to the beach, riding with the windows down in his truck, and watching them play baseball. JJ and Jackson were his world, and he took pride in their letters to him and pictures of them playing baseball and shooting the BB gun. Jimmy also loved Victoria, who moved back home with her mother on a couple of occasions. During that time, Jimmy would take Victoria to Waffle House and then walk her to school, they would carve pumpkins every year, and they would play Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree while Victoria danced on his feet. Victoria and Jeff always loved to pinch his nose while he was sleeping and yell, “WAKE UP!”, after which he would jump up and get mad at them. Within the last couple of weeks, Jimmy spent a very memorable Christmas with Jimmy, Jeff, Jovana, Victoria, Hannah, JJ, Jackson, and his newest great-grandson Cade.

Family meant everything to Jimmy – whether it was driving through the night to move his daughter back home, or driving all over Georgia and South Carolina to watch his sons play football, basketball, or baseball, or almost getting kicked out of several of Jimmy and Jeff’s games for being a loud fan, or taking care of his brother and sisters, or building stairs or repairs to his in-law’s home – he always put family first and made sure they had everything they needed.

Jimmy was especially close with his sister Sandy (“Nandy”). Later in life, he lived close by and helped her around the house with chores and repairs. They looked after each other, and Nandy made sure that her baby brother was taken care of. Sandy, thank you very much for everything you did for Dad.

Jimmy is survived by his sons Jimmy and Jeff (Jovana), daughter Melissa (Dru), four grandchildren, Victoria, Hannah, JJ, and Jackson, two great-grandchildren, Aubrey and Cade, sister Sandy Wiggins, brother Bud (Cheryl), several nieces and nephews, and his beloved dog Toto.

A memorial service is being planned at a later date.