James ‘Jim’ Stephen Walters

May 1, 2026

James “Jim” Stephen Walters, 77, of Pensacola, FL, passed away peacefully at home on April 16, 2026, having survived cancer for more than 20 years. He was born on May 1, 1948 in Buffalo, NY. He is survived by his wife, Deecee Haslett, his daughter, Sheila M. Johnson, and his grandson, Logan D. Johnson of Monrovia, MD. He is also survived by his brother John “Jack” & wife, Reba Walters of Tullahoma, TN, his brother Joel and wife, Lynne Walters of Vashon, WA and his sister, Jill W. & husband Mahlon Erb of Frederick, MD. He is preceded in death by his parents, Donald S. and Dorothy (Rodak) Walters.

After graduating from Lake Shore Central High School, Angola, NY in 1966, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served his country for 26 years retiring as a CTRCS (SW) in 1992. His duty stations included Great Lakes, IL, Pensacola, FL, Winter Harbor, ME, Ft. Devens, MA, Hanza, Okinawa, Edzell, Scotland, Homestead, FL, Adak, AK, Washington DC, Ft. Meade, MD and he served on the USS California (CGN-36). He earned his Bachelor of Science Magna cum Laude in Management Information Systems & Business Administration from Alderson-Broaddus College, Philippi, WV in 1997.

Jim obtained his Amateur Radio license in 1968 and maintained his license throughout his life using call signs WA2GIN and N4SAR. He was active in emergency communications as: Emergency/Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Escambia County, FL; Communications Captain/Commander, Assistant Director & Public Information Officer with Escambia Search & Rescue for 30+ years; and as a volunteer CPR & First Aid instructor for the American Red Cross. He was a member of the Fleet Reserve Association, the U.S. Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association and the Disabled American Veterans.

Jim was also employed by the Escambia County, FL Clerk of the Circuit Court and worked in both the private and government sectors as an information systems contractor.

In his free time, he and Deecee enjoyed square and round dancing both locally and at various locations throughout the U.S. They also enjoyed traveling and cruising.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to Emerald Coast Hospice, and the excellent care provided by their staff, especially Tiffany, Breana and Anna.

Services will be held on April 30, 2026 at Oak Lawn Funeral Home, 619 N. New Warrington Rd, Pensacola, FL. with visitation at 11:00am, service at noon and committal following at Barrancas National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Comments





Have a comment on this story?

We welcome your comments on this story, but there are some rules to follow::

(1) Be Nice. No comments that slander another, no racism, no sexism, no personal attacks.

(2) No Harrassing Comments. If someone says something bad about you, don't respond. That's childish.

(3) No Libel. That's saying something is not true about someone. Don't do it.

(4) Keep it clean. Nothing vulgar, obscene or sexually related. No profanity or obvious substitutions. Period.

(5) NorthEscambia.com reserves the right to remove any comments that violate our rules or we think to be inappropriate. We are not responsible for what is posted. Comments may not appear right away until they are approved by a moderator.

(6) Limit your comments to the subject in this story only, and limit comments to 300 words or less. Do not post copyrighted material. Comments will not be added to stories that are over 30 days old.

(7) No posts may advertise a commercial business, political candidate or political group, or link to another commercial web site or political site of any kind.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Obituaries 

  NEfb