James Kirkland “Jay” Harper, II

James Kirkland “Jay” Harper, II, 32, died Sunday, March 3, 2024, at Baptist Memorial Hospital – North Mississippi. A visitation will be held Thursday, March 21, 2024, from 2:00 P.M. until 4:00 P.M. in West Hall of Waller Funeral Home.

Jay was born on June 30, 1991, in Jackson, MS, to Deanna Moore and James Kirkland Harper. From a young age, he developed a passion for sports. When he moved to Oxford, he immediately felt at home as a fan of Ole Miss Football, surrounded by fellow fans and culture so centered around sports. Jay was a lifelong WWE fan, watching from childhood on. A bartender and waiter at Boure, he was passionate about his work and thought of his coworkers as family. He was known for his great service and personality, and was a familiar face to so many of the regulars. Each Sunday, he looked forward to phone calls with each of his parents. The calls with his dad included recaps of the weeks football game, wrestling matches, or other sports highlights. His calls with his mom focused mostly on his other passion in life, which was food and cooking. When he wasn’t watching a game, Jay had the Food Network on, where he loved to learn about new techniques and recipes. He developed quite a talent for cooking, and at only 21 years old, put his skills to the test by preparing the entire Thanksgiving spread by himself. Through the years, Jay had become a seasoned cook and looking forward to chats on the phone with his mom discussing the shared interest.

He had a heart for animals that led him to adopt his senior dog, Ganter. As he continued to age, Ganter eventually lost his hearing and eye sight, but Jay’s love for him grew only stronger, as he lovingly cared for him despite his ailments. Jay filled his life with so many things that brought him joy, the greatest of which were his friends and family. He was preceded in death by his uncle, Tom Moore.

Jay was known by all for his compassionate and loving heart, and as a final expression of this, gave the gift of life through organ donation.

He is survived by his father, Kirk Harper; his mother, Deanna Moore; his sister, Caitlin Harper; his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. James Moore; and his nephew, Warren Reed White; all of Brandon, MS.

Expressions of sympathy or memorial contributions in Jay’s memory may be made to the Oxford Animal Resource Center, 413 McElroy Drive, Oxford, MS 38655 or online at https://oxfordarc.org/.