Cloudy, 26° F
(April 13, 1927 - Aug. 27, 2015)
Paul Leon James died surrounded by family on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015, at West Park Hospital in Cody after a month-long illness. He was 88.
Born April 13, 1927, in Hazelton, Kansas, Paul was the eighth of nine children of Richard Beuhler James and Lola Whitener James.
When he turned 18 in 1945, Paul immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served for more than a year and eventually relocated to Cody.
In 1949, Paul married Martha Nan Davies, and they had three daughters.
Paul and Martha Nan owned and operated Sunset Grocery in the 1960s and 1970s.
A beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, Paul was a tireless worker who strived to serve others. A Cody resident for 67 years, Paul was known for his gentle demeanor, sense of humor and a rich bass voice that bolstered the Cody United Methodist Church choir.
Family always came first. Paul was a tremendous role model, setting high standards of honesty, integrity and hard work. His marriage lasted 60 years until his wife’s death in 2010. He was a patient and loving father who was actively involved in the lives of his children and grandchildren.
His employment career spanned 75 years, including work as a farm hand, a truck driver, a mechanic, a jack-of-all-trades at Cody Feed and a security guard at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.
Paul served 13 years as a board trustee of Northwest College. He was a 65-year member of the Cody United Methodist Church and a member of the Kefar Shrine Club of Cody. He was a founding member of the Shriners’ Turtle Patrol and even rode with his posse in the Cody Stampede parade this past July.
He was preceded in death by his parents; seven siblings, daughter Debra James Clark and wife Martha Nan. Survivors include sister Etta Marie Kerr (Jim); daughters Ann James-Herron (James) and Meg James Loe (Thomas); grandchildren Angela Selby, Andrea Beatty, Aaron Clark (Martha), Nicholas Clark (Sayward), Amanda Berger (Paul), Hannah Herron, Molly Herron; four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the Cody United Methodist Church.
Ballard Funeral Home in Cody is handling arrangements.
