Jim Wills

Services for Jim Wills, 75, of Tyler are scheduled for Friday, March 28, 2008 at 2:00 PM at Stewart Family Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Mark Goodman officiating. Burial will be at Pine Springs Cemetery under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Col. James Guinette "Jim" Wills was born in Tyler on December 6, 1932 to the late Joe and Ruth Wills and passed away on Monday, March 24, 2008 in Tyler. He counted it gain that he grew up during the depression. After graduating from Tyler High School in 1950, he joined the Navy and turned down an appointment to Annapolis to serve two tours of duty in Korea as a telegrapher on the USS Lowry and the USS Tranthen. He served in four major battle campaigns K7, K8, K9, and K10. In 1953, he married Faye Turner. They had three girls. Faye was killed in an auto accident in 1973. After the Navy, he joined the Air Force. Then after Russian language school, he graduated from gunnery school and was assigned to the RB66C crew at Shaw AFB, S.C. After three years of duty there, he was transferred to Yokota AFB, Japan where he flew on a RB66C crew and later on a RB50 crew. He flew recon from Russia to Taiwan. Upon returning to the States, he was assigned to the Strategic Air Command and flew airborne alert duty on B52 bombers. He acquired 10,000 hours flying time, mostly on B52s. He quit flying in 1967 and spent a year in computer maintenance school. A year later the Air Force moved him back to school to manage it. He was hired away from the Air Force by the Singer Company, computer division. In 1974, he married Jacklyn Smith and adopted her twin girls. He was an Advanced Systems Manager when he found a five million dollar error in the Sears Roebuck computer POS system in Lake Charles, LA, Sears Store. Sears offered him his own franchise store in Marble Falls, Texas as a reward, so he took that opportunity to leave the big city of Houston. While in Marble Falls he created Appropriate Resources, Inc., QuadraTex, Inc., BRW Communications, Inc., Highland Credit and Lending, Inc., and QuadraTex Communications, Inc., He had a partner in each of these successful businesses. He helped write the Charter for the City of Marble Falls and founded the Highland Lakes Educational Development Society. After returning to Tyler, he served two years with AmeriCorps assisting mentally challenged adults, while acting as a business consultant for several firms in Tyler. He is the father of the Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign System, a system that allows amateur radio operators (Hams) to choose their own call sign. To do this required him to get one line added. In 1993, the US Flag flew over the Capital building in Washington D.C. in Jim's honor. December 6, 2001 was declared "Jim Wills' Day" by the City of Tyler. Jim was recently awarded the rank of Colonel by the Commemorative Air Force, formerly known as the Confederate Air Force. Jim found Jesus in 1946 and belongs to the Woods Baptist Church. He is preceded in death by his beloved first wife, Faye Wills; granddaughter, Jacklyn Nicole Cunningham; sister, Dorothy Mink Cross and parents. He leaves behind a wonderful woman and wife of 34 years, Jackie Wills of Tyler; five daughters, Dr. Marsha Wills -Karp and husband Dr. Chris Karp of Cincinnati, OH, Jan Pew and husband Don of Detroit, Michigan, Malisa Bramblett and husband Matt of Chickasha, OK, Holli Sparkman of Marble Falls, and Heidi Wills Eslicker of Chandler; two stepsons, Rik Cunningham and wife Jeannie of Tyler and Nik Cunningham of Tyler; 21 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Jim's grandsons, Matthew Pew, Heath Cunningham, Joshua Eastwood, Jeremy Eastwood, Christian Cunningham, and Stephen Pew. He has had an abundant life and been blessed beyond compare. He will be missed by those who knew and loved him. Family will receive friends from 6pm - 8pm Thursday, March 27, 2008 at Stewart Family Funeral Home; 7525 Old Jacksonville Hwy, Tyler 75703. For more information or to express condolences, visit www.stewartfamilyfuneral.com.

Jim Wills

December 6, 1932 - March 24, 2008