Jamie Delozier

Born December 13, 1971, Jamie Wayne Delozier, 51, of Joplin, Missouri, departed peacefully from this
earth. Surrounded by family, loved ones, and the sound of Son Volt, he let go at 10:20 am on Thursday,
February 23, 2023. 
     Jamie is survived by his wife Staci Damm Delozier. Staci was Jamie’s best friend, soul mate, and guardian angel for the last 25 years of his life. Jamie is survived by his parents Jan Delozier and Chuck
Catt; siblings Jarod [Courtney] Delozier and Jennifer [Marshall] Smith; brother-in-law Shawn [Kelly]
Damm; 7 nieces and nephews and countless friends. He is preceded in death by his dad Bill Delozier and
step-mother Lynnd Catt. 
     He was known by one name: Delo. Delo had an unbreakable spirit. He once said “If I decide I’m done,
then I’m done.” Never a truer word has been spoken. He was also strangely certain of most things: he
knew his favorite bands, football teams, people, and ways to spend his time. He oddly made you feel that
he was correct about these things. Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar, OU over everybody, ‘Shutup Chris
Collinsworth,’ ‘that guy is a D,’ ‘I like her,’ and that you need to call whomever it is he was worried about. 
      Delo had his own way of speaking. He pulled long on the ‘o’ in ‘no’; pulled long on the ‘u’ in
‘shuuutuuup’; he liked the ‘n’ in the ing form of the f word. He gave great hugs. He would get mad about
how much he loved you. He felt completely at home in a totally empty bar. He would play darts at
midnight when it was quiet, make the most of it, and then ask ‘where we goin?’
    Delo loved his wife. He knew he was screwed without her. He was never more happy in his life than
with Staci. 
     In the 8th grade he could be found in a shiny sweatsuit, laps in the gym at 7 am. His indomitable spirit
found a home in athletics. He won state championships in the most self-denying sport: wrestling. It is
rumored he continues to hold the Wardog record for the longest punt return. I was never in his presence
when I didn’t think about the gladiator delo inside him. 
      His body was small and agile. Staci loved to watch him do flips off a diving board; he could fly off the
end of a boat or a dock. He hated feet; he loved pictures of his knees. 
      He had a way with coining nicknames: Bruiser, Jugheae, D-Dub, Hillbuh, Hud, Beardo…
      He was a brother to two people he adored. As an older brother Delo was his irascible self. He and
Jennifer competed for the front seat; Jarod was the goalie in attic hockey. Known as the Big Dawa, he
wrestled Jarod and Jennifer, protected them from the outside. Having Delo for a big brother was, as they
say, “a badge of honor.”
     Delo had a disposition for the downtrodden. He gravitated toward easing suffering, especially with
animals and people. He tirelessly supported the Joplin Humane Society. He bought sleeping bags for the
homeless when it was cold. He passed them out in his usual deadpan way. He did these things quietly.
One would miss Delo’s kindness and generous spirit as it was never ostentatious. 
     The life force was strong with this one. We all knew. A strange mix of sweetness and steadfast
defiance. Even in his last days, he held on until he was ready, not to be told what to do. We will miss you
Delo.

A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday March 2, 2023 from 5-7 p.m. at The Joplin Elks Lodge #501 1802 w 26th St, in Joplin, Mo. Arrangements are under the direction of Ozark Memorial Park Crematory of Joplin, Mo.