Mr. James T. Cole Jr.'s Obituary
James T. Cole, Jr. died after a long battle with cancer, Monday February 24, 2014. He was born on March 29, 1937 in Alma, Arkansas to James T. Cole, Sr. and Wanda Cole. The family moved to Raymondville, Texas in 1937 to farm. They lived in Raymondville for 16 years and moved to Austin, Texas in 1952. James attended A.N McCallum High school and graduated in 1955. He excelled in football and track. He attended Texas A&M University, Kilgore College and Southwest Texas State College.
He moved to Kilgore in 1965 and worked for the Texas Railroad Commission Gas Division. He worked for the City of Kilgore for 15 years as Water Utility superintendent before becoming the Director of Water Utilities. After leaving Kilgore he accepted the position of Director of Utilities for the City of Temple, Texas. He relocated to Austin, Texas to become the General Manager of Brushy Creek Utility Mud District. He then went to work for Metcalf and Eddy Engineering Services as the Project Manager of a Mud Water Reclamation Facility in Orlando and Orange County Florida. He then transferred to Houston, Texas to manage a water treatment facility for eleven different entities in the Houston area. He then transferred to East Texas to start up the Gladewater, Texas Public Works Facility. Upon completion of this project he started doing contract work with projects in Georgetown and Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. In 1999 after much travels he decided to retire and worked as a field inspector in the local East Texas area. After 30 years in the environmental field he retired full time. His hobbies were hunting, fishing, cooking and gardening.
He is survived by his wife, Clyda Cole of Longview, his children Tamie Cole, Bryan and wife Jenni, Dena and husband Shannon Butts, Gena and husband Mark Matthews, eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Also survived by brothers Dwight and wife Carol Cole, Ronnie and wife Judy Cole and sister Lee Ann Gilmore and husband Reverand Bill Gilmore and nieces and nephews.
The pall bearers are Ron Cole, Mike Hanks, David Gilmore, Mike Gilmore, Lowell Clay and Cody Clay. Honorary pall bearers are Mike Green long time friend, Bill Matthews, Kenneth Riddle, Charles Martin, Larry Brown and Guy Pritchett members of Fellowship Baptist Church.
The visitation will be on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at Rader Funeral Home, Longview from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The funeral service will be at Fellowship Baptist Church, 1818 Springhill Road, Longview, Texas on February 27, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Kilgore City Cemetery 200 Memorial Drive, Kilgore, Texas.
Memorial contributions may be made to Beacon Hospice, P. O. Box 5908, Longview Texas 75608.
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