Raymond Matthew James

Raymond Matthew James, age 83, died peacefully in San Antonio, Texas on Monday, September 18, 2023.

He was born July 7, 1940, to Bill and Nola James of San Antonio and grew up there. He worked in San Antonio following high school and then joined the Marines and served for several years during the Vietnam War, returning home to San Antonio and the young lady who he'd been dating. He and Pamela Clayburne were married in San Antonio and made their home there.

They had a daughter, Tracy, who died at age 3 due to heart complications and a son, Brett, who survives him. Raymond worked for many years as both a contractor and a carpenter, doing work on buildings as varied as a gingerbread home in the King William District in San Antonio and a working Bandera County barn with all sorts of structures and many homes in between. He and Pamela moved their family to a home in the Pipe Creek area and later to a home in Bandera itself, so that they could be closer to one of his few surviving aunts.

Raymond was a quiet man who spent most of his time working in his shop if he was able, and then watching Western movies and TV shows and reading Louis L'Amour books. He loved feeding his outdoor birds and made sure that their feeders were always full even when he was no longer able to fill them himself. Following the untimely death of Pamela in 2021, he spent many peaceful, happy hours with the man who took over that job and many others around his home, Ricky Fernandez, who became his best friend and who loved to listen to Raymond's war stories and anything else he wanted to talk about.

Raymond was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Carl, his sister Laverne, daughter Tracy, and wife Pamela. He is survived by his son Brett James, a brother Nolan James, one niece, several nephews, and many cousins.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday September 26, 2023, at 11:00 am at Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Helotes, Texas, next to Pamela and Tracy.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson Foundation or the Alzheimer's Association.