James Todd

James Bain Todd, 90, peacefully passed away, surrounded by loving family, on Friday, December 4, 2020 in Kerrville, Texas where he had lived since 2016.\r\n\r\nJim was born on September 17, 1930 in Waco, Texas to James Orland and Odessa Bain Todd.\r\n\r\nIn 1944, Jim earned the rank of Eagle Scout from Troop 18, in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Longview High School, in Longview, Texas, in 1948. As a young man, he enjoyed rodeoing and ranching.\r\n\r\nJim met Joyce Wiederhold in the summer of 1949 while he was a "working man" at Camp Arrowhead in the Texas Hill Country and Joyce was a camper. They were married on March 28, 1951 while he was home on leave from the Navy.\r\n\r\nJim served in the Navy on the U.S.S. Manatee during the Korean War. He had many stories to tell about his years of service to his country. When he was honorably discharged in November 1954, he returned to Texas A & I University in Kingsville, Texas where he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering.\r\n\r\nIn 1958, Jim and Joyce moved with their 3 small children to Waco, Texas. Over the years, they owned and operated the Rockin' J Ranch near Spring Valley, and an agricultural supply company.\r\n\r\nJim was an active participant in the Woodway/Midway community where he and Joyce raised their family. He was an integral member of Woodway First United Methodist Church for 50 years and sang in the church choir most of those years. After retirement, he volunteered for 20 years at Providence Hospital in the ER. He received great joy from friendships at the hospital, at his church, and throughout the Waco community - including his coffee drinking buddies at Shipley Donuts in Woodway.\r\n\r\nHe enjoyed a variety of hunting and fishing throughout his life. He loved to travel and together he and Joyce visited six of seven continents, and most of the fifty states. One of his favorite adventures came in 2001 when he took scuba diving lessons and was able to dive in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.\r\n\r\nJim enthusiastically shared his love of music with family and friends. He enjoyed everything from Tennessee Ernie Ford and Nat King Cole to symphony orchestras, cowboy ballads, and Broadway musicals. He cherished patriotic music and the great hymns of the Church as they expressed his faith and convictions.\r\n\r\nJim Todd was a patriot, a storyteller, and a faithful friend. He will be terribly missed.\r\n\r\nHe was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce, his parents, and his sister, Betty McBride Johnson. Jim is survived by his children Lanell Armstrong, Linda Murphy, and Laurie and Mike Lowe; nine grandchildren: Jill, Sally, Zach, Austin, Anna, Sam, Sarah, Lindsay, and Katy. Additionally, he is survived by fifteen great-grandchildren: Noah, Ella, Josiah, Violet, Isaac, Reagan, Reese, Madilyn, Emersyn, William, Jackson, McKenna, Johnny, Vivian, and Charlie.\r\n\r\nA private family memorial service will be conducted. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Crossfire Kids Ministries, P.O. Box 140164, Dallas TX 75214, or at https://crossfirekidsdallas.org\r\n