Jimmy Dan Mahan, 79, passed away peacefully on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Woodville after a life spent in selfless service to family and friends.
Visitation will be at 12 p.m. on Good Friday, April 3, at Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home in Woodville with funeral services at 2 p.m. Burial will follow at Egypt Cemetery in Colmesneil. Officiating will be Brother Dale Brantley, Jason Trahan, and his son, Jesse Mahan. Serving as pallbearers are Jesse Mahan, James Whisneant, Jake Pattillo, Jason Trahan, Matt Trahan, and Jonathan Mahan.
Jimmy was born and raised in Colmesneil and served in the United States Army. He was deployed to Munich, Germany in 1967.
Jimmy’s first love was fast cars. As a teenager, he bought a blue and white Oldsmobile 442 muscle car which he used to race and outrun patrolmen all over Tyler County. In his later, wiser years, Jimmy preferred driving his old white pickup at a very safe speed of 20 miles per hour – on the shoulder – as he made his rounds. A cup of sweet tea in hand and feed store hat perched on his head, he loved pulling up to a convenience store and scratching lottery tickets, dreaming of the day he would hit it big.
In 1982, Jimmy founded the Best Little Burger House in Texas on Highway 69 in Colmesneil, which he later sold to his sister Virgie, whose son still runs it.
Even though he wasn’t the youngest child of his mother, she sure did treat him like he was. Legend has it he was forced to make a plate of food for himself just once, after his mother caught him bragging about his favored status behind her back. Similarly, he would later lovingly dote on his kids, grandkids and nieces and nephews through the years. He liked being a partner in crime to whatever mess everybody got into and loved even more hearing all the stories told and retold. Through heartache and joy, Jimmy was always quick with his sweet, distinctive laugh, which we will all very much miss hearing.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Evelyn and Sam Mahan; sister Laverne Mahan; sister and brother-in-law Virgie and Tom Trahan; daughter and son-in-law Tammy and Ricky Snider and grandson Logan Snider; and mother of his children and her husband, Bonita Sue and Patrick Erick Leslie Lam.
He is survived by daughter and son-in-law Mandy and Mark Pattillo; and son and daughter-in-law Jesse and Michaela Mahan; sister Judy Brown, brother Jerry Mahan; grandchildren Jake Snider, Olivia Whisneant and husband James, Lainey Smart and husband Bobo, Mia Spradlin, Jake Pattillo and wife Jaci, Phoenix Mahan, Apollo Mahan, Lily Mahan and Trey Pattillo and wife Tori; and great grandchildren Rhett, Kimber, Logan, Tatum, and Autumn.
The family would like to express their sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Dogwood Trails Manor and Olive Branch Hospice for the compassionate care and kindness shown to Jimmy during his final days.
