‘Right where he wants to be’: Higginbotham’s ashes to be scattered at Alabama park after Japan tragedy

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: The family of James Weston Higginbotham, the 20-year-old Auburn University student who was found dead after disappearing during a family vacation in Japan, is preparing to honor his memory with a final tribute rooted in a place that held deep meaning for him. Friends, relatives, and members of the community gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, to remember the student and reflect on his life following the tragedy.

The memorial service brought mourners together as they shared memories, spoke about his personality, and heard details about how his family plans to keep his presence alive in a place he loved.

Family plans Alabama park memorial for Auburn student James Weston Higginbotham

During the funeral service held at Asbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Rev. Mike Holley told mourners that Higginbotham’s ashes would be scattered at a local park that held special meaning for him.

“There'll be a place where Weston's memory will be there and that his ashes will be scattered there,” Holley said during the service.

He also shared that two benches will be installed at Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County in Higginbotham’s honor, placed in “beautiful, still, noiseless parts of creation.”

Holley said the park was one of his favorite places and a space where his family could continue to remember him. The service focused on celebrating his life and the memories he shared with loved ones before his death.

Higginbotham disappeared while on a family vacation in Japan. Authorities later found his body after an extensive search, bringing a heartbreaking end to efforts to locate him.

He added, “Right where he wants to be.”

Auburn community mourns student after Japan vacation tragedy

Higginbotham, a student at Auburn University, was remembered by friends, family, and members of the community during Wednesday’s service. Those close to him reflected on his kindness, empathy, and the way he connected with people around him.

He disappeared while on vacation celebrating his younger brother’s high school graduation.

His disappearance drew widespread attention after his parents made public appeals for help in finding him. Hundreds of friends and volunteers supported the search effort.

He was last seen getting off a train at Kyoto’s Yamashina station on May 29 after a family dispute, according to social media posts shared by his mother, Nancy Higginbotham.

Nancy said on June 6 that a volunteer team located Weston’s body outside Kyoto after an extensive search.

“The grief we feel is impossible to put into words,” she wrote in a social media statement.

Local police said no foul play is suspected, and his cause of death has not been disclosed.

His mother described him as having a “charismatic smile” and being a dedicated environmentalist in a tribute shared on June 10.

Friends and family give lasting tribute at funeral

At the funeral service, close friends and relatives spoke about his empathy, adventurous spirit, athleticism, intelligence, and open-hearted nature.

“Weston had a way of making everyone feel included,” said Eddie Higginbotham, Weston’s cousin. He added that Weston was “easy to smile with, easy to laugh with and always ready for something new, unexpected and maybe a little weird."

“There are ways that you can keep his name and his memory and his heart and his soul alive,” Rev. Holley said during the service. “We hope that you will do something to reduce the noise, to be at peace and to see the creation that God has made for us, a place to preserve and a place to enjoy.”