James Lloyd Mumaw's Obituary
Obituary for Mumaw, James Lloyd James L. Mumaw was born April 11, 1921 in Breckenridge, Texas and passed away May 27, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. He was preceded in death by parents L.L. (Pete) Mumaw and Melvina Mumaw Baxendale, wife Jo Ellen Mumaw, son Larry Mumaw, brothers C. W. (Wade) Mumaw, Lawrence Mumaw and William Baxendale. Jim was survived by his wife of 27 years Myra Mumaw, son Ted Mumaw and wife Jackie, daughter Linda Douglas and husband Ron and his sister-in-law Roselle Watson. He is also survived by Myra’s three daughters and husbands Alice and Ron Adams, Susan and Sam Torn, and Melinda and Bill Graham. His blended family includes 18 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren along with numerous nieces and nephews. Jim grew up in the Great Depression and was raised mostly by his twice widowed mother. He was a 1940 graduate of McAlester High School, McAlester, Oklahoma. He loved all sports but did not play because he started work at age 15. Jim’s brother Wade talked their mother into buying a Curtiss Junior, a two seater open air airplane, when they were teenagers. This launched a lifelong career for the two of them. In WWII, Jim was a decorated B24 Liberator bomber pilot. He logged 1200 flying hours with 300 combat hours and credit for 50 missions. He was with 776th Bombardment Squadron, 464th Bombardment Group flying out of Italy. He did not lose a man. In one incident his Liberator was shot up pretty badly. He nursed the limping bomber back and ran out of fuel just as he sighted the landing strip. He made a successful landing even though two gas tanks had been shot out and two crew members injured. Both crew members recovered. In 1944 he married Jo Ellen Grey of Liberal, Kansas. He was a commercial airline pilot for thirty years retiring from Braniff International. He was the oldest man to check out on a 747 at that time. He finished his career making regular flights to Europe. Most of their life was spent in Richardson and Carrollton, Texas. They enjoyed their children’s sports, travel, fishing, camping, swimming, and lots of golf. Jim loved to water ski. They played bridge and loved antiques and arts and crafts. They were members of and raised their children in Community Christian Church in Richardson. Jim loved to go fishing in Port Aransas with his best friend Del Bain and his son Larry. Jo Ellen passed away in 1985. He married Myra Boggs in 1988. They enjoyed traveling, and playing bridge. They were active members of Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, and members of the Redus class. They were past members of the Lovers Lane Congregational Care Committee and past presidents of Swinging Saints Square Dance Club. Square dancing took them all over the country to various dancing events. They were members of the 464th Bombardment Group and the retired Braniff Pilots associations. Myra and Jim were members of the Brookhaven Country Club where Jim enjoyed golf and hosting family events. They attended sporting events, graduations, and weddings of their blended families’ children and grandchildren. Jim and Myra loved visiting Camp Ozark and especially enjoyed rooting for the Aggies or Longhorns depending on which son-in-law provided the tickets. Jim and Myra spent the last few years at Caruth Haven Court in Dallas where he received wonderful care and love from the staff. The family is very grateful to all of them for going the extra mile. Jim was a loving family man and friend. He was an example of what it meant to be a member of the “Greatest Generation”. He along with his brothers were family heroes and will be greatly missed. Family will receive friends on Friday, June 3, 2016 from 6-8PM at Restland Funeral Home. Graveside service will be Saturday June 4, 2016 at 3PM at Restland , followed by a Celebration of Life service at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church 9200 Inwood Road, Dallas, Texas in the Shipp Chapel at 4 PM. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to your favorite charity.
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