Jim was born on April 25, 1935 in Waukesha, WI to the late George and Genevieve Robel Cooley. He lived in Wisconsin until his family relocated to Southern California in 1949, where he attended and graduated from Glendale High School in Glendale California. He married Sharon Argue in 1957 while attending The University of California at Sacramento. Jim went on to graduate with a degree in Business Administration. He started his career with General Motors in Sacramento and was transferred from there to Beaverton, Oregon; Flint, Michigan; and eventually Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In 1974 Jim took a position in Marketing with The Bendix Corporation in Jackson, Tennessee. After nine short months, Bendix transferred Jim to East Greenwich, Rhode Island where he stayed for eleven years. In 1983, Jim’s career took the family to St.Louis, Missouri. The family moved back to Jackson, Tennessee in 1988. After retirement in 1992, Jim enjoyed a second career in real estate with Real Estate NOW is Jackson, TN.
Jim was a very spiritual man who was ordained as a Deacon in the Catholic church in 2000. He loved his family and was a great lover of animals and always had a faithful dog by his side. In his younger years, Jim was a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court, playing as often as possible. He was a lover of cars and Alabama football.
In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his son Michael J. Cooley and his brother Robert J. Cooley.
Jim is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sharon A. Cooley of Jackson; his son Derek J. Cooley (Ashley) of Flower Mound, TX; his daughter Dana C. Hickman (Larry) of Dawsonville, GA; granddaughters: Olivia Hickman and Zooey Cooley; grandsons: Banks Hickman and Quincy Cooley; Nieces: Pattie Cooley McLaughlin, Kristin Futran James and Kim Futran Davis; Nephew: Phillip Cooley; and great-nephew Barrett Davis.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, November 18, 2023 from 10 – 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 2887 East Main St., Humboldt, TN 38343. The Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Ridgecrest Cemetery.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.GeorgeASmithandSons.com for the Cooley family.
