Bearden said the business side of Mims started in high school when he would run a general store out of his locker.

“He would sell chips, gum or candy bars and you would go buy them from him,” Bearden said. “He always had his nose in something to make money.”

Mims later opened “Fat Daddy’s” barbecue restaurant in Maplesville, “Fat Daddy’s” fireworks stand and Mims Memorial in Maplesville, as well as working for Martin Funeral Home for more than 35 years.

Jimmy Martin first hired Mims at age 16 to work in the funeral business at Martin Funeral Home.

“Tim came to me and said he wanted to get into the funeral business,” Martin said. “He went to work with us and has worked for us several different times throughout his life. He was one of the better funeral directors that you could find anywhere.”

Although Martin said he never knew why Mims had an interest in the funeral business at such a young age, Mims would often work weekends while attending Maplesville High School learning to be a funeral director.

“You got to where you knew if Tim was taking care of everything then it would be taken care of,” Martin said. “Even after he stopped working here we would have people call and request Tim to handle the funeral for a family, and we would let him come back and do that because he did a really good job.”

Haigler recalled a conversation she had with Mims about two weeks ago on the front porch of his home.

“He asked me if he thought it would be a problem to have his funeral services at Maplesville Baptist Church,” Haigler said. “He said the reason was he wanted his memories to be shared in the center of town, and that meant a lot to me. His heart was and will always be here in this community.”

Funeral services for Mims will be Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. at Maplesville Baptist Church.

Friends will also be received from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 15 at Maplesville Baptist Church.