James “Jimmy” Thomas Becnel passed away peacefully at West Jefferson Medical Center on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at the age of 76. Born June 10, 1943 and raised in Braithwaite, Louisiana, Jimmy attended Woodlawn and St. Stanislaus High Schools, and Southeastern Louisiana University graduating in 1966 with a degree in Business. Jimmy worked for the Lykes Brothers Steamship Company for 17 years and then for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Jimmy was a well-known resident of the Esplanade Ridge neighborhood where he lived most of his life. Words cannot express our deep gratitude and appreciation for the care and compassion of the many nurses, aids and social workers at Jo Ellen Smith Living Center who cared for Jimmy over the better part of the last decade of his life. He is preceded in death by his parents, Eustis Simon Becnel and Jessie Collura Becnel. He is survived by his sister Carol Ann Becnel Thompson, and his nephews, Hays Brown Thompson III of Austin, TX; and Stephen Christopher Thompson of New Orleans, LA. A private graveside service for limited friends and family was held at St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, New Orleans, LA on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, www.ccano.org, in memory of Jimmy. To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit www.stbernardmemorial.com.