Navy EMCM Jimmy Lamar Null Obituary

Jimmy Lamar Null, more commonly known as Pop-Pop, passed peacefully at his home surrounded by loved ones on January 12, 2026, at the age of 83. He was born January 27, 1942, in Birmingham, AL, to James Alexander and Lillie Mae Scott Null. He joined the US Navy in June 1960 and became a member of the "Silent Service", which took him all over the world underwater.

He married the love of his life, Eleanor, in June 1966 and had a daughter, Shannon, in 1971. The three of them lived in Charleston, SC; Dunoon, Scotland; Pearl Harbor, HI; and Orlando, FL. He retired in 1986, trading his military uniform for khaki pants, blue and white shirts, white New Balance shoes, and a Submarine Veterans hat he never left home without. He began working at the Charleston Naval Shipyard and later at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In 2004, he retired again and moved to St. Augustine, FL, where he built his dream workshop and enjoyed retirement doing home inspections and helping others. When the grandkids visited, there would be a trip to Disney World, Cape Canaveral, or tubing at the Ichetucknee Springs.

Another move in 2010 brought him to Columbia, SC, to be near the grandchildren. He took a slot in the carpool rotation and did many emergency lunch drop-offs for a grandson who "forgot" lunch. Often, he would be found cheering on the cross-country course, at a school performance, talent show, or some other activity of one of the boys; but one of his favorite things was the 10 pm calls from a grandson saying, "How about a world-famous Pop-pop milkshake?" In Columbia, he became active with several veteran groups: Project Josiah, a ministry for combat veterans, and Palmetto Submarine Veterans' Base of USSVI, a network for fellow submariners. His greatest joy was his three grandchildren. He celebrated their births, graduations, weddings, and their presence. For those who knew him, it is a well-known fact that he was a lover of shrimp, cookies, and chocolate. He always had a collection of tools, used to help build ramps or railings for someone in need, and plenty more unused, "just in case you might need it." He had a library of stories, sometimes told for the 3rd or the 15th time if you've known him long enough. He was a collector of military history books and had his own library for anyone interested in reading them.

He is survived by his wife, Eleanor Ruth Shokes, also known as Grammy, daughter, Shannon Blythe McCormack, son-in-law, Paul McCormack, also of Columbia, SC; grandsons, Connor McCormack and his wife Abigail Alvin, Kihei, HI, Jordan McCormack and his husband, Joseph Giordano, Columbia, SC, and Tyler McCormack, Brooklyn, NY. He is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews, as well as those who knew him as Pop-Pop.

The service for EMCM Null will be held at 2:30 o'clock, Saturday, January 17th, at Shives Funeral Home, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia, SC. The family will receive friends prior to the service at the funeral home beginning at 1 o'clock. A graveside service with Military Honors will be held at 10 o'clock on Monday, January 19th, at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, 4170 Percival Road, Columbia.

To further research and therapies for CMML, the family requests memorials be given to Leukemia Research Foundation, leukemiarf.org, 191 Waukegan Rd, Ste. 105, Northfield, IL 60093 or to the American Cancer Society, 10 S. Fork Pl, Columbia, SC 29223.