06/28/1933 - 03/21/2023
James Robert Murray of Aledo, Texas, passed away peacefully March 21, 2023, punching his ticket to rejoin Kay, his beloved wife of 67 years in a blessed and wonderful eternity in heaven. Jim Murray, the Southern gentleman, was born in the deeply southern Shuqualak, Mississippi June 28, 1933, to parents, Paul, and Mary Murray. He fell in love early with the beautiful Kay Cockrell while they both attended high school in Macon Mississippi. The story goes, he called her for a first date, she accepted and when she opened the door to greet him...stunned, she asked, who are you? She had been thinking “Jim Murray” was another boy. And the rest is history.
Jim married Kay while attending Mississippi State University in 1954, graduating, and joining the Air Force in 1955. Born from this marriage were two brothers, Mark and Mike and their beautiful sister, Karen. In the Air Force, the family moved many times and lived in beautiful parts of the world, while creating lifelong memories and making lifelong friends all the time. Their marriage enjoyed a 67-year run until sadly and suddenly Kay passed away in August 2021 from a heart attack. Jim was suddenly widowed and began a new chapter, “the rest of his life,” without his life’s partner. Jim had advanced in his Air Force career to achieve the rank of Colonel, full bird Colonel. He retired as Base Commander of K I Sawyer Air Force Base, in Marquette, Michigan in 1979. He served in the Viet Nam war as a pilot, flying a host of aircraft in that battle, to include the KC 135 Tanker, KC97, C130 and the giant beast, the B52. Jim described flying the B52 was like bulldogging a 1500lb Brahman bull taking all he had simply to turn the beast. All told Jim had over 6000 hours (about 8 months) in the Left seat of these birds serving his country proudly and humbly until his well-earned retirement in 1979 to Fort Worth, Texas.
It was not long before Jim had enough retirement and joined McDonalds Corporation and served as a regional manager overseeing McDonalds locations from Fort Worth to Albuquerque, NM. He carried the nickname, “Colonel Flashlight,” because he prided himself on his inspections of, in, under and around all the equipment in the kitchens. He never missed a misplaced French fry, a runaway straw, or a stray ketchup bottle cap. Finishing his second career with Mickey Ds after 13 years he later went on to create his own home building business designing and constructing many beautiful homes around Granbury Texas and Pecan Plantation in Hood County Texas. After six years building, he finally retired a third and final time. Living in Denton Texas he raised prized tomatoes, earned the praise of neighbors with his slow cooked ribs, and enjoyed his children, his grandchildren and his church, the Denton Bible Church. We think Jim Murray was our quiet hero... and Heaven needed a new hero.
Jim is survived by his children, Mark and wife, Julie Murray, Karen and husband, Johnny Dwire, Mike, and wife, Jeanne Murray, his brother Travis and Susan Murray of Amory Mississippi, grandchildren Daniel and Leslie, Amanda, and Taylor, five great grandchildren and his beloved care giver Cathy Steen.
Jim did not want a formal funeral, rather a celebration and get together with friends so we will break bread in his honor and raise a glass at the Harvest of Aledo Retirement Community, 1043 Bailey Ranch Road in Aledo, 4:30 pm Wednesday, April 12, 2023
In lieu of flowers, Jim’s favorite charity, should you desire, is St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital.
