In 1963, James was the Oklahoma All-Conference Football Linebacker and graduated from the Miami (Oklahoma) School District. He received his AA from Northeastern A&M, BBA from the University of Oklahoma, and his MA from Texas Christian University. While at the University of Oklahoma, James was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
James joined the Army Reserves in 1968 and trained at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Eustis in Virginia. He was honorably discharged in 1974.
On December 30, 1972, James married the love of his life, Margie Wallis, and they spent 51 wonderful years together. They lived in Ft. Worth and Borger, Texas, before moving to Norman in 1997.
James’s professional background was in business planning and profit control. Early on, he worked for manufacturers of home appliances and oilfield production equipment. The last 15 years of his career were spent as a Management Consultant for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce’s Main Street Program. After retiring, he assembled his consulting procedures and authored a book entitled, A Guide for Doing Business this Year. In 2019, James was honored with the Oklahoma Main Street Legacy Award for his continued service.
James is preceded in death by his parents, brother DeWitt P. Watters, and grandson Jamison Bennett Watters.
Those left to cherish James’s memory are his wife Margie of the home; children Amy Michelle Watters of Tulsa, Stephen Tyler Watters (Chrissy) of Norman, and Jay Michael Watters (Sarah) of Kansas City, Missouri; grandchildren Tyler James Watters and Emersen Grace Watters and bonus grandchildren Michaela and Isabella Marsden; brother Robert “Bob” G. Watters (Patsy) of Edmond, and sisters-in-law Elizabeth Foshee (Jerry) of Oklahoma City and Janette Wallis, of Norman; nieces Elisa Hedenberg and Jeri Beth Foshee; nephews Christopher Foshee and Jarrett Watters; and furbabies Scully Dog, Murphy, and Daisy.
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