James Thomas Tolbert, Jr.

James Thomas Tolbert, Jr. MCPO retired (Jim), 76, passed away on September 18, 2025. Jim was born on June 14, 1949, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Martha and James T. Tolbert, Sr. and later adopted by his maternal grandparents, Marie and John Hill Boynton. His paternal grandparents were Effie and Paul Tolbert of Whitesburg, Georgia. He grew up in Palmetto, Georgia, and Riverdale, Georgia. He graduated from Lakeshore High School in College Park, Georgia, in 1967. Jim and his wife, Mollie Virginia Tolbert lived in Lake Butler, Florida at the time of his death.

Jim was extremely proud of his military service. He enlisted in the Navy in 1968 and, in his own words, “managed to get into aviation mechanics and liked it enough to stick around,” which he did for nearly 30 years. He served the majority of those years with attack squadrons based in Florida and deployed aboard aircraft carriers Nimitz, Forrestal and Carl Vinson. His most challenging and most rewarding service was with the Blue Angels. While with them he served as Crew Chief and, in his last tour, as Chief of Maintenance. After retiring from the Navy, Jim and Mollie lived in Jacksonville where they both worked for the Social Security office. After retiring from Social Security, Jim and Mollie moved to Lake Butler.

Jim liked golfing with his friend, Chris, who said they were not very good but had fun anyway. He will be most remembered for his love of riding his Harley. He frequently rode with a group of friends known as Men of Honor who sometimes participated in rides to raise funds for local causes. At Christmas each year, Men of Honor rides for donations to Toys for Tots sponsored by the local Harley Davidson dealership.

James was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.

He is survived by his loving wife, Mollie; his son: James B. Tolbert (Jennifer); sisters: Marianne Christopher (Tim), Arlene Guest and Marsha Tolbert (Omelia); stepdaughters: Theresa Barrick (Mark) and Kathie Goodin; grandchildren: Alexandra and Virginia Barrick, Mollie Brant, Leanne and Paige Kline; grandsons: Wyatt Tolbert and Bradley Dixon; and the other members of the Men of Honor: Chris Deason, Warren Dupree and Mark Williams.

Funeral services will be held graveside at 2:00 PM on Monday, October 20, 2025, at Jacksonville National Cemetery, 4083 Lanie Road, Jacksonville, FL 32218.

In leu of flowers please consider a donation in Jim’s name to your favorite charity.