James Joel O'Briant

Mr. James Joel O’Briant, 85, passed away on Friday, June 13, 2025, at his home in Louisville, MS. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, June 16th, at Poplar Flat Baptist Church, with Rev. Doug Wise and Mr. Giles Ward officiating. Visitation will be Sunday from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at Porter Funeral Home. Interment will be at his beloved farm in Attala County.

James Joel O’Briant was born on March 2, 1940, and grew up in the Providence Community near Ethel, Mississippi. He graduated from Ethel High School, and then attended Holmes Junior College and Mississippi State University. After graduating from Mississippi State, Joel lived briefly in Jackson, Mississippi, where he married Marilyn Hunt in 1963. The couple moved to Laurel, Mississippi, where he began his career with Masonite Corporation.

In January 1966, Joel and Marilyn moved to Louisville, Mississippi, when he accepted a position with Georgia-Pacific. In 1973, they relocated to Crossett, Arkansas, as Vice-president of Industrial Relations for the Southeastern Division, before returning to Louisville in 1977, where he continued his work with Georgia-Pacific. He later served as President of Gulf Coast Plywood in Hammond, Louisiana. After four years, he returned once again to Louisville to where he was Executive Director of the Louisville-Winston County Economic Development Foundation, a role he held until his retirement in 2005. As part of his commitment to supporting Mississippi businesses, Joel was an active member, and committee chair, for the Mississippi Manufacturers Association.

Joel remained active throughout his life in entrepreneurial pursuits, including residential construction, small business ownership, and investment properties. In his later years, he found great joy in restoring and tending to the farmhouse and land where he was raised - a place that continues to bring together family and friends.

He was a faithful member of Poplar Flat Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; his daughter, Valerie Sullivan (Dan); his son, Jason O’Briant; his grandchildren, Tyler Sullivan (Chrissy) and Abby Sullivan; and his great-grandchildren, Ty and Stella Sullivan. He is also remembered with love by a host of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Evelyn and Carlton O’Briant, and his sisters, Sarah McKay and Janice Williams.

The family expresses deep gratitude to Genary Glenn, Horace Frazier, Vera Hathorn, Bertha Haynes, and Turkesa Shields who worked tirelessly and with great compassion, presence, and care, to bring comfort and dignity in his final days. The family also wishes to extend special thanks to Anna Leigh Whitehead and Christy Stockstill for their kindness and support as well as the team from Geneva Hospice for their compassion, comfort and professionalism.

Serving as pallbearers will be Bit Belk, James Harvey Burchfield, Allen Watts, Terrell Bell, David Steward, Jr., Brian Williams, Steve McKay, Mike Forrest, Jerry Williamson, and Hap Hickman. Honorary pallbearers will be the SS Club at Poplar Flat Baptist Church, and Joel’s Sunday School class at Poplar Flat.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Poplar Flat Baptist Church, P. O. Box 684, Louisville, MS, 39339, or Haiti Mission Fund at First Methodist Church, P. O. Box 523, Louisville, MS, 39339.