James Edward Chambers

James Edward Chambers of Richland Hills, Texas, went to be with his Beloved Lord & Savior on Friday, May 24, 2024, at the age of 82. Known as "Skeet" to most, he was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on January 28th, 1942. His parents, Jay & Ruth Chambers, moved their family from Oklahoma to Richland Hills, Texas, in September of 1958 at the beginning of Skeet's junior year in high school. He helped his father build their Booth Calloway Road home along with the assistance of his younger brothers, Duane & Victor. Skeet graduated from Birdville High School in in 1960. He worked several jobs including a stint as a butcher at Buddie's Grocery Store. He was also the flag man that started the races at Green Valley Raceway in Smithfield, Texas in the early 1960's before the "Christmas Tree" light was installed. He loved the car races & drag races; he could remember every detail of every driver, every car, and every race that he ever witnessed. He was offered a unique opportunity by Mr. Bill Hielscher, owner of "Mr. BARDAHL," the World's Fastest Stock Corvette in 1966, to drive this Corvette as an exhibition driver. He couldn't accept the offer because it would require too much travel & time away from his family. Mr. Hielscher eventually owned Green Valley Raceway. His love for cars was well-known by anyone who knew him. He was a proud member of the Pacers Car Club which promoted traffic safety, courtesy & good driver attitudes. He also built a slot-car racetrack on a piece of plywood and set it up in the garage so we could play. He and a friend even had some slot cars they modified and raced around town for awhile. On June 12th, 1961, he was married and exactly one year later, he became a father to a bouncing baby boy named after him, James Edward Chambers, Jr., and then a short 15 months later, he became a father to his daughter, Rhonda Marie Chambers Bagby. Skeet began his long, distinguished career at Bell Helicopter in the pre-soldering department at the old Richland Hills Warehouse in August of 1964 and worked his way up to an electrical assemblyman. On May 16th, 1968, Skeet's life was changed forever when a car pulled out in front of his motorcycle while he was on his way home from work & caused a horrific accident that left him unconscious for 2 weeks, numerous broken bones & paralyzed extremities. Once he adjusted to his new body, he never complained "why me?" He just powered through and made the best out of his new normal. He bought Jamey, Rhonda & himself dirt bikes, so on the weekends, we went to Tarrant County Motorcycle Trails to ride for hours. He had a beautiful royal blue metallic-flecked street-legal dune buggy; it was chromed out with white leather seats. He would strap Sharon in it & we would ride the trails in that, too. Although he and Sharon were together from the mid-1970's, they waited until November 23rd,1991, to get married. While at Bell, Skeet was chosen as one of only three guys to be trained to wire a special assembly that went inside the rotor mast and up through the rotor hub and into an "eye" mounted above the hub that allowed the helicopter to see at 360 degrees which allowed it to fly below tree lines yet still effectively "see" and navigate the terrain. In July of 1994, Skeet was featured in the Bell Helicopter News in the "People Who Make a Difference" section where he was praised for being a hard-working, conscientious, dedicated employee always striving for perfection in the work he performed. Also in July of 1994, he became a very proud grandfather when his grandson, William Carter Bagby, was born. In 1996, he was blessed with his 2nd grandchild, a granddaughter named Miranda Lee Bagby. As the grandkids grew & got involved in extra-curricular activities, Skeet & Sharon attended as many events & games as possible along with many family gatherings. After 39-1/2 years of dedicated service to Bell, he retired on January 31st, 2004, just 3 days after his 62nd birthday. He took great pride in his work at Bell & he was recognized on several occasions for this. In December of 2021, he & Sharon became proud great-grandparents when Wyatt James Clark was born. Their 2nd great-grandchild is on her way this October; we will tell baby Rylie lots of stories about her Great-Grandpa Skeet & Great-Grandma Sharon. Skeet & Sharon enjoyed many years of wonderful memories together until she tragically passed away on November 22, 2023, just one day shy of their 32nd Wedding Anniversary. Skeet missed Sharon terribly. Her death left a void that none of us could fill. He pushed through each day, staying busy at his house, going here & there with Jamey & Rhonda, attending church & lunch after, doctors' appointments, graduations & memorials. He loved Jesus and was not shy about talking about his faith to anyone who would listen. His body was weakening & an illness got the best of him and he passed from this life to his eternal resting place in Heaven with Jesus. He was dearly loved by all who knew him, and he will be missed now that he's gone. He wouldn't want us to be sad because he is with Sharon again along with his parents and brothers. What a reunion that must have been! Skeet was preceded in death by his parents - Jay & Ruth, his two brothers - Duane & Victor, & his beloved wife, Sharon. He is survived & missed by his son, James & his fiancé, Lisa; his daughter, Rhonda & her husband, Todd; grandson, Will; granddaughter, Randi & her husband, Taylor; great-grandson, Wyatt; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, numerous members of Sharon's family & lots of friends.

A memorial service for James will be held Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 2:00 PM at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home, 5725 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, TX 76034.