Jimmy Tallent

Funeral services for Jimmy A. Tallent of Tyler will be held on Friday, January 11, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at Green Acres Baptist Church Chapel with Dr. Darryle Dunks and Rev. Ken Brumley officiating. Burial will follow at a graveside service at Gladewater Memorial Park (West Hwy. 80) under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, January 10, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler. Jimmy passed away on January 7, 2008 in Tyler. He was born on September 7, 1935 in Tent City, TX off the Sabine River (a camp for migrant oil field workers) to Art and Edna Tallent. He attended and graduated from Gladewater High School, followed by attending Kilgore Junior College, being the first bus driver for the Kilgore Rangerettes. Jimmy flew for the US Navy in 1955. He married Rose Marie Erwin on March 1, 1957 in Nacogdoches TX. In 1959, Jimmy received his Bachelor of Science degree from Stephen F. Austin University in chemistry with a minor in physics, and three days later joined the insurance industry. Jimmy was in the insurance industry for over 50 years. Those who preceded Jimmy are his father, Art Tallent; mother, Edna Tallent; and brother, Roy Tallent. Those left behind are his beloved wife, Rose Marie Tallent; sons, Tim Tallent of Hot Springs, AK, Dr. James Tallent of Austin, TX; daughter, Debbie Hightower of Cairo Egypt; daughter-in-law, Julie Koe Tallent; son-in-law, Jay Hightower; grandchildren, Dustin Tallent, Kristin Tallent, Will Tallent, Hollis Hightower, Hallee Hightower, Harper Hightower and great grandchild, Kennedy Lee Tallent. Also, Jimmy leaves his sister, Colleen Coffman of Stone Mountain, GA, and brothers, Richard Tallent of San Augustine, TX, Melvin Tallent of Glenndale, AZ, John Paul Tallent of Gladewater, TX, and Jerry Tallent of Erath, LA. Jimmy was active in many community services, including the Tyler East Gideon Camp, Tyler Downtown Rotary, Texas Association of Life Underwriters, Leadership Tyler Class 1, Longview Oilbelt Association of Life Underwriters, Tyler Metropolitan YMCA, the Republican Party, the American Heart Association, Sharon Temple Shriners, Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, the Masonic Temple and numerous other civic organizations. He was a Legislative Emergency Interim Successor for the House of Representatives under leadership of Governor Mark White, and appointed a member of the Chancellor's Council of the University of Texas in Austin. He and his wife attend Green Acres Baptist Church. Jimmy and Rose enjoyed traveling with friends and family to the four corners of the earth. He is known as the "Candy Man" wherever he goes as he passes out candies with scripture verses on each piece, and his favorite phrase is "Life is Terrific!" Pall Bearers include: Jack Erwin, TC Erwin, Alfred Jones, Mark Mueller, Ernie Negem and John Paul Tallent. Honorary Pall Bearers include: Robert Bandy, Carl Bochow, Sr., Ben Jarvis, Red Little, Ralph Martin, Joe Martel, Jerry Tallent, Melvin Tallent, Richard Tallent, Ted Clark and the Tyler Gideon Brothers of East Camp. Memorials may be made to the Gideons International PO Box 131993 Tyler TX 75713 or Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation 1332 North Halsted Street Suite 201 Chicago, Illinois 60622, or pulmonaryfibrosisinfo@yahoo.com. For more information or to express condolences, visit www.stewartfamilyfuneral.com.

Jimmy Tallent

September 7, 1935 - January 7, 2008