James Allen Garrett Sr

Jim was born, James Allen Garrett on December 3, 1952 in Nacogdoches, TX the fourth of six children to Vernon and Viola Garrett. He attended grade school in New Diana, TX and graduated from Garrison High School in 1971. While working in Pasadena, TX for Southwest Tank he met and married Debi and they enjoyed 41 years of happily ever after. They had three children, Robert, Jimmy and Becky whom he counted as the biggest achievement of his life. He unselfishly surrendered his time at home to support his family working offshore for Chiles Drilling. In 1992, he fulfilled a dream by starting an underground utility construction company, Garrett & Sons Enterprises, with his two sons. He remained in business until 2010. For the remainder of his career he was employed as a field supervisor for CableWorks, Inc. and retired in 2017. If ever a man fit the description “larger than life,” it was Jim. He somehow discovered what eludes most people; how to be happy and fully invested whenever and wherever he was. His spirit was sincerely genuine, everyone around him benefited from spending time with him. He was everything from Santa Claus for the family Christmas Party, King Arthur at Halloween, a Teddy Bear on the Polar Express and the fourth “girl” in a Hannah Montana wig in a granddaughter photo op. Jim could build a house, weld a fence, run electricity and repair the car. He panned for gold, loved Louis L’Amour, John Wayne, westerns, traveling in the mountains, Christmas Hallmark movies, Easter, musicals and The Nutcracker Ballet. There were a few things he did not like, disrespect for the flag, toll roads, the beach and the Patriots. Jim’s outlook on life is summed up in Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report: if there be any virtue and any praise, think on these things.” He was a beautiful, truly happy person who loved God and found pure joy in the company of his family and friends and wanted everyone to feel welcome in his home. He often said that he had so much more than he deserved. We strongly disagree. A lesson from Jim’s life is to value everyone you meet as though they will become a trusted friend. As we struggle to say goodbye and begin a new life without this beloved man in our midst, we can smile as we envision him in his own version of Heaven, dressed as Santa, fishing and panning for gold in the river of life, with a backpack filled with a utility tool, potted meat, crackers, and an X Box One. Thank you Jim Garrett, from the bottom of our hearts, for showing us how to do life.