Jessie Marion Holiman, III

Jesse Marion Holiman III passed away the evening of May 26, 2026, after a courageous battle with esophageal and bone cancer over the past year at his home surrounded by family. Jesse was born on February 17, 1967, at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, to Jesse Marion “Hoot” Holiman Jr. and Laura Suzan Zeiss Holiman. He was raised in the Jackson area where he attended St. Therese Catholic School before going on to Brandon Academy, Florence Junior High, All Saints Episcopal School, St. Joseph High School, Chamberlain Hunt Academy, and completing his education at the Education Center in Jackson.

In 1985, Jesse answered the call to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served as a diver until his honorable discharge in 1989. During his service he was stationed aboard the USS Yellowstone and the USS Richard E. Byrd, developing the skills and discipline that would define his career for decades to come.

After his service in the Navy, Jesse built a distinguished career offshore as a saturation diver, a demanding and elite profession that took him on adventures far from home for years. He later advanced into the role of Life Support Supervisor before ending his offshore career in 2015. In his final chapter professionally, Jesse transitioned into refrigeration and HVAC work, most recently serving as a Refrigeration Technician with Walmart in the Mississippi Delta.

Jesse was a man who lived life fully and on his own terms. He could make a room laugh — and often squirm — with a wit as sharp as it was unfiltered. He never left anyone guessing where he stood; he had a gift for telling it exactly like it was, in the most Jesse way possible, and those who loved him would not have had it any other way. Jesse had a special gift of maintaining connections with many lifelong friends and treasured those bonds throughout his life.

When he wasn’t working, Jesse was most at home outdoors. He treasured deer hunting on his family’s land along the Big Black River, a place that held generations of meaning. He loved fishing both inshore and offshore and had a deep connection to the water — whether he was diving, boating, or simply enjoying a drink on the open water. The beach was a second home to him, and above all, he cherished the time he spent surrounded by his family.

Jesse is survived by his beloved wife, Amy Jenkins Holiman; his children, Robert Andrew Abney Holiman (wife Stormie), Laura Haley Holiman, Meg Crocker Hanley (husband Dalton), Molly Crocker Usey (husband Reid), and Wilson Smith Crocker; his grandchild, Luke Jacob Hanley, son of Meg and Dalton; his mother, Laura Suzan Zeiss Holiman; his brothers, John Patrick Holiman (wife Amanda) and William Grady “Willy” Holiman; Niece, Brittany Erin Holiman Langston, and a loving extended family.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jesse Marion Holiman Jr.: his paternal grandparents, Jesse Marion “Jimmy” Holiman and Maude Taylor Holiman; and his maternal grandparents, Laurence Miller Zeiss, John Davis and Carolyn Black Guyton.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in Jesse’s honor to the MD Anderson Cancer Center or the American Cancer Society.

Donations to MD Anderson may be mailed to: UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486 or made online at MDAnderson.org/Gifts

Donations to the American Cancer Society may be made at cancer.org or by calling 1-800-227-2345.

A celebration of Jesse’s life will be held in Jackson, Mississippi with details forthcoming

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