James Wesley Wells

James Wesley Jim Wells March 28, 1925 – December 13, 2006 James Wesley Jim Wells, 81, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, December 13, 2006. A memorial service will be held at 11:30 am Tuesday, December 19 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where he was an active member. The Rev. Chuck Treadwell and the Rev. Michael Attas, M.D. will officiate. Visitation at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home on Bosque will be from 5-7 pm on Monday, Dec. 18. James was born March 28, 1925 in Kemp, TX to David Wesley Wells and Lena Mae Johnson Wells. He attended elementary schools in several towns in Texas and Arkansas. Then he attended school 1938-1942 in Aruba, Dutch West Indies, where his father was employed. His family then moved to Dallas where he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1943. It was there he met his future wife, Barbara Hunt. After attending Texas A&M for one semester, he was drafted into the Army in October 1943. He spent twenty-seven months in the Army Air Corps, serving in the 494th Combardment Group in the Palau Islands and Okinawa. After his discharge in January 1946 he resumed his education at A&M, graduating with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in January 1949. In 1958 he earned an M.S. in Structural Engineering from SMU. He was a Registered Professional Engineer. After graduation from A&M, he was employed by American Bridge Company in Pennsylvania. Later he worked in the aerospace industry, which brought him in 1963 to Rocketdyne in McGregor. He also worked as sales manager for a local road paving manufacturing company. It was his last job, however, that brought him the greatest satisfaction-that of teaching civil engineering technology at TSTC. James enjoyed travel, especially taking his children to see the wonders of this country in far away national parks. One of his great loves later in life was the Kairos Prison Ministry. After his retirement in 1989 he became a dedicated volunteer. He served as ombudsman at St. Elizabeth Nursing Home, as an interviewer at Caritas, and as general provider of comfort for patients and their families in Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center’s ER and Radiology Department. The staff and patients there brought him great joy and satisfaction. He is survived by his wife of fifty-nine years, Barbara Hunt Wells and by his three children: Kathleen Wells of Fort Worth, Susan Wells Dyer and husband, Dean of College Station and Joe D. Wells and wife, Catherine of Fort Worth. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Andrew Billingsley of Fort Worth; Laura Sheffield of London, England; Rebecca Sheffield of Dallas; Shannon Smith of Carrollton; Susan Kathleen Wells of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Courtland Canterbury of Fort Worth. Other survivors are an aunt, Dollie Holland of Mabank, cousins Bill Johnson of Amarillo and Lois Booker of Houston, and brother-in-law, James Hunt of Waco. The family wishes to express deep gratitude to Hillcrest Community Hospice nurses and aides for their tender caregiving; also to Ann, Terri, and Elizabeth for their compassionate daily care at home. We are also grateful for the compassionate professional care of Dr. John Kosarek and his staff. Memorial may be sent to Hillcrest Community Hospice, Caritas or a charity of your choice. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com. Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey