James Wilder “Jim” Huggins, a lifelong resident of Monroe, LA passed away peacefully on March 24, 2026, after a short illness. He was 83.

Funeral services for Mr. Huggins will be held at 1:30 P.M. on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Graceminster Presbyterian Church in Monroe, LA, with Rev. Phillip Azad officiating, under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home Sterlington Rd., Monroe. Interment will follow at Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroe. Visitation will be held from 12:30 P.M. until service time at the church.

Jim (or Mr. Huggins) was the child of Eugene T. and Ruby Wilder Huggins. A brother, Eugene T. Huggins, Jr., died in his infancy.

Jim and his wife, Lynda Wood Huggins, were high school sweethearts at Neville High School. Jim was a member of the Neville Band when they played in the inauguration parade for John F. Kennedy in Washington, D.C. Jim attended LSU, where he also played in the band, graduating in architecture. Jim & Lynda were the first couple married at the new First Presbyterian Church on Stubbs Avenue in 1966, after the church relocated from downtown Monroe. After living in Baton Rouge and Atlanta, Jim and Lynda returned to Monroe to raise their growing family. Jim worked at Ford, Bacon & Davis before opening an independent architecture firm. He worked for 67 years before retiring last fall.

Jim was a faithful servant of the Lord, serving as an Elder, as well as volunteering on numerous church property committees, both at First Pres and Graceminster. Jim and Lynda spent much of their lives advocating for rights of the developmentally disabled, raising funds for research and supporting other families in the autism community. Jim was also an early supporter and board member of MedCamps of Louisiana.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 51 years, Lynda, and his eldest son James W. “JJ” Huggins, Jr. Left to cherish his memory are his sons, Jason (wife, Germaine) and Jon; daughter-in-law, Renee; grandchildren, Connor, Carmen, Courtney (husband, Micah) and Justin (wife, Tess); two great-grandchildren; and sisters-in-law, Norma Arant and Wanda Teel (husband, J.D.).

Pallbearers will be Connor Huggins, Craig Ferguson, Caleb Seney, Micah Dye, Justin Kidd and J.D. Teel.

For those who wish to honor Jim with a memorial, MedCamps of Louisiana was special to him.