Judy Lou James' Obituary
Judy Lou James (nee Fortassain) Born July 1, 1938 in San Antonio, Texas to Mr. and Mrs. Eldredge Paul and Byrd Lee Fortassain moving immediately to Dallas Texas as an infant. Judy was preceeded in death by her parents, and Mrs. Mary Freeman, her grandmother; and her aunt and uncle Mr. & Mrs. Sydney B. and Lou Petrie, of Dallas Texas. Judy was also preceeded in death by her beloved brother in law, Mr. Rudy James of Dallas and sister in law, Ms. Mary Frances James Lovelace of Canyon Lake Texas. Judy is survived by her husband, Tom R. James of Dallas and her two children: Jennifer James Heathington, her husband Michael of Paradise, Texas, and their sons Hunter and Lucas. She is also survived by her son, Marty James, his wife Jennifer and daughters, Madeline and Shelby James of Flower Mound and her oldest granddaughter Kelsey James of University Park. Additional surviving family members are Sister-In- Law Margie Lee Quinlan and her children Katy and Robert Quinlan of Dallas, Brother- In- Law, A.P .James Jr., and his wife Peggy of Dallas and their children, Arthur James and Julie Ann James Clemmons of Dallas and niece Holly Hopper of Sherman, TX. Additional survivors include, her godmother, Katherine Hill of Flatonia, TX and her constant companions, Lilly and Toots James (yellow Labrador Retrievers). A seventy-year resident of Dallas, Judy attended Ursuline Academy from 1944-1952, North Dallas High School from 1953-1954 and graduated from Hillcrest High School in 1956. Ms. James attended Southern Methodist University from 1957-1959 and by her own account, majored in Dancing and Bridge rather than waste her time on academics! Although Tom and Judy attended the same high school in Dallas, they were not by any stretch of the imagination – High School Sweethearts. Judy believed that Tom was not near cool enough for her and Tom thought he was way to cool for Judy. In June of 1960 Tom and Judy reconnected on a blind date and on January 27, 1961, on a beautiful snowy day in Dallas, they married. They celebrated their 48th anniversary this year. Ms. James was a beloved “Mimi” to her five grandchildren and spent her lifetime in support of her children and grandchildren. She recently attended the graduation of her eldest granddaughter, Kelsey James from Ursuline Academy, which Judy, her daughter Jennifer, her mother Byrd Lee, and her Aunt Lou had attended as young women. Known for her great cooking, Judy was the recipient of a Blue Ribbon award for her Jelly entry in the State Fair of Texas. After her children were grown, Judy became involved in the Deaf Action Center of Dallas and was on the Board of Directors for several years. As a child, Judy lived with her grandmother Mary Freeman who was deaf, and Judy learned the art of sign language and was proficient in its use by the age of three. One of her favorite activities was communicating with members of the deaf community thereby providing a fresh breath of conversation for those who were deaf and could not talk with others. As a result of marrying Tom, Judy, having no brothers and sisters, became a dedicated member of the James family. She became a central part of the family including but not limited to mother hen to all, chief critic, provider of special care for Rudy James who was a special needs family member, liaison between all family members and above all she made sure that we all loved one another. Judy valiantly fought off the ravages of cancer for approximately ten years and lost her battle on July 8, 2009 with her husband Tom, and children Marty and Jennifer by her side. Judy survived well beyond the time expected after the onset of her illness not because she feared death but because she knew how much we loved her and how much it would hurt her family to lose her. She protected us until the end. A memorial service celebrating Judy’s life will be held at Restland Funeral Home Memorial Chapel, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. Honorary Pall Bearers are Dr. Tom Hatfield, Bobby Worthy, Roy Grammar, Danny Russell, Larry Hadley, Fred Stuckey, Craig Brown and Richard Aubuchon, all from the North Texas area.
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