James O. Crooms

James Ottis Crooms, age 83, of Metter, passed away Friday, January 30, 2026, at Candler County Hospital.

Mr. Crooms was born in Stillmore, Georgia, and was the son of the late Raymond Ottis Crooms and Mary Evelyn Donaldson Crooms. He was a member of Cedar Street Baptist Church, where he belonged to the Lighthouse Sunday School Class.

He graduated from Metter High School in 1960 and was a veteran of the United States Army. Mr. Crooms worked in the supermarket business for 30 years, spending most of that time at the Metter Piggly Wiggly. After retiring from the grocery business, he owned and operated Crooms Cedar Center Convenience Store and later worked with Clyde’s Convenience Store, from which he retired thirteen years ago. Mr. Crooms served Candler County as a Candler County Commissioner for several terms.

He loved golfing, fishing, and hunting golf balls, and he worked for several years at the Willow Lake Golf Club driving range.

In addition to his mother and father, he was preceded in death by a step-mother, Gladys Crooms.

Survivors include his wife, Jean Brown Crooms; two sons, Bobby Crooms (Tina) of Metter and Allen Crooms (Kristie) of Statesboro; four grandchildren, Mackenzie, Zach, Danton, and Kristen Crooms; two sisters, Carolyn Henley (Jeff) of Statesboro and Pauline Crooms Fountain of Metter; and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at Cedar Street Baptist Church, with Rev. Bo Fulginiti officiating.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 2, 2026, at the church.

Interment will be in Sunlight Cemetery in Cobbtown.

Pallbearers will be Jamie Sutton, Kevin Beasley, Joey Pittman, Benji Crooms, Steven Rigdon, and Sunny Youmans.

Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the Lighthouse Sunday School Class as well as Tommy Kingery, Hutt Kingery, Kenny Davis, and Randy Crooms.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the fund of the donor’s choice at Cedar Street Baptist Church.

Kennedy Funeral Homes, Hooks Chapel, of Metter, is in charge of the arrangements.