LEONARD – James Randolph Caldwell, II, “Jim”, 63, departed this life on Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. He passed away suddenly at his home in Leonard, TX from natural causes. Jim was born to James Randolph Caldwell “Randy” and Maggie Loraine Anderson Caldwell on July 23, 1948 in Denison, TX, where he resided most of his life. He loved Texas.
Jim was baptized as a teen by the First Presbyterian Church of Denison where his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Bert Hinkle, formerly Janie Copeland Anderson, served as an Elder. Mrs. Hinkle, widowed twice, was a well-established and respected citizen of Denison; a former business owner of a grocery store and grainery in Pottsboro, TX. Granny Hinkle, who was close to Jim, worked as an Estee Lauder Sales Rep., a realtor, and conducted estate sales until her death at age 83.
Jim received his basic education in the Denison Public Schools, attending both Peabody Elementary & Denison High School but due to the multiple locations of his parents’ businesses in Colbert, OK and “Randy’s Liquor” in Denison & Achille; he attended 3 ½ yrs. of high school and graduated from Achille High School in 1966.
Jim played basketball for the boys team at Achille. His height of 6’ 2 1/2 ” allowed him to jump really high and dunk the basketball which was an asset to his team. Jim was a fun person. He sang while traveling on the bus to their games.
He acted in a stage production “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” written by William Shakespeare at Southeastern State College during his senior year of high school.
Following his high school graduation, Jim attended Murray State Junior College in Tishimingo, OK. After Murray, he attended Southeastern State College majoring in Psychology. He completed 3 ½ yrs of college. Jim mastered the English language, had an extensive vocabulary and spoke fluently. Jim was an avid reader and was very knowledgeable due to his mother’s influence. She nicknamed Jim “Jimboy”. He had inherited her features with big blue eyes and a slender physique like his maternal grandfather George Anderson.
Jim’s parents took their two young sons on summer vacations to California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Florida to visit relatives; also, to Mexico. Randy Caldwell’s nephew was an Arizona Highway Patrol Officer in Tucson, AZ. Caldwell cousins of Jim’s are Randy and Jackie Wakefield, Peggy, Eulane and Dosie Vick that lived in NM and AZ, and Yolando of Denison. He has 4 cousins on his mother’s side, the children of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse P. Luton, who reside in Houston, TX.
Jim had a big smile accompanied by a charming personality and had many friends in the Texomaland area. Jim was a “hot-rodder”. He loved fast sporty cars and owned several including a black Bonneville Pontiac, a red Grand Prix with white leather seats, an orange 1970 GTO Judge Pontiac in which he drove us to the Achille Prom his junior year, a yellow Corvette, an orange Jeep with huge tires, a burgundy Dodge Ram pickup and a navy Chevy pickup. His cars always had a 4-in-the-floor stick shift. He was an “ace” driver. Jim was a shadetree mechanic and assembled an entire motor for a Pontiac from a kit he purchased. He installed several motors, transmissions, clutches, brakes, etc. Patricia assisted him by running around Denison picking up car parts and towing him when necessary. Once she towed Jim all the way from Ft. Worth, TX to Denison, TX thru Dallas, TX.
Jim chauffeured his father on short road trips in their Buick Electra with their German Shepherd dog. These German Shepherds were beloved by the family and stayed with Randy at home and at their businesses. One of their dogs named Mike was in a family portrait. Jim’s hobbies included cooking and grilling. He had two special BBQ sauces he prepared from his “Top Secret” recipes for a hot red sauce and a brown gravy. Jim built a large “BBQ Pit on Wheels” that could be pulled behind a car or truck.
Jim liked to take pictures with expensive cameras and developed the film in his dark room at home.
Jim collected Magnum 38 and Magnum 44 revolvers made by Smith & Wesson. I always thought he resembled the movie star Clint Eastwood.
Jim liked to sing. He sang old country songs in a soft, tender voice. As a child he had memorized these songs by listening to the jukebox at his parents tavern/skating rink in Colbert, OK. He taught himself to play the harmonica after he was married and living in Denison.
After college and marriage, Jim was employed in the Texomaland area by American Life Insurance Co. as an insurance salesman, Johns-Manville Pipe Plant, Texas Instruments and Oscar Mayer.
Jim married his childhood sweetheart on April 24, 1971 and was a very loving, devoted family man. Jim was beloved by his family and will be greatly missed by everyone.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia Ann Holland Caldwell and his 3 children: a son, James Randolph Caldwell, III, “Randol” and wife Angela; 2 daughters, Crystal Caldwell Joachimstaler and husband Joe and Brittany Ann Caldwell; 4 grandchildren, Luke and Jacob Caldwell and Brooke and Kate Joachimstaler, all of St. Louis, Missouri; nephew Charles Harry Caldwell “Tate” of Dallas, Texas; aunts Mrs. Jesse P. Luton, Houston, TX and Mrs. Raymond “Kathlyn” Mahan of Palo Verdes, California and cousins.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his only sibling, Charles Harry Caldwell, referred to as “Harry” or his nickname “Haggy”.
John 11:28 “The Master is come and calleth for thee”.
Isaiah 45:3 “I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”
There will be a memorial service in St. Louis, Missouri.
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