James Edward Hurst

James Edward Hurst, 81, died October 15, 2009, immersed in the love of his family, friends, and the Lord. Jim is now reunited with his wife of 56 years, Patricia Ann, who passed in 2007. Services will be at 2:00 PM Saturday at Rector Funeral Home Osage Chapel with Jed Humphrey, of the South Georgia Baptist Church officiating. Interment will be at Llano East Cemetery, Field of Valor with military honors rendered by the United States Air Force Blue Knights of Altus Air Force Base. Arrangements are by Rector Funeral Home Osage Chapel, 2800 S. Osage St. Jim was born in Wallace, West Virginia, the oldest of John and Opal Hurst's four children. Eager to serve his country, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1945 by fudging his age with the recruiting office. Following basic training, Jim met Patricia Ann Swingle while assigned duty as an air traffic controller at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. They married on December 3, 1951. Their Air Force journey spanned the USA from California to Washington DC, with a four-year tour in Europe. He served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Jim retired from the Air Force in 1968 as a Chief Master Sergeant and the family settled in Amarillo, Texas. Jim began a new career with the Federal Aviation Administration in Amarillo as an electronics technician. He retired in 1988 from the FAA and remained in Amarillo the rest of his years. Dad loved to tinker and make things. He filled a workshop full of tools and woodworking equipment and teamed with Pat to produce a myriad of handcrafted items - perpetual calendars, yard ornaments, and home dcor items. And how he loved photography and gadgets. He recorded all of our European adventures on slides; video taped his grandson's first steps, and took hundreds of digital photographs and made virtual albums for the family. Dad always had the newest computer, camera, scanner, or tool from Sears. Once he purchased a color television kit and put the console together, just to see if he could do it. Jim hated to lose at pinochle or cribbage, but loved to tell a good story to all who would listen. He pulled for the Dallas Cowboys even during the years when he cursed their pathetic play. Jim was a devoted family man whose definition of a vacation was two weeks back home in West Virginia and Ohio, where Pat's people lived. And he always went to the ballgames and soccer matches in support of his kids and grandkids alike. He even coached John's softball team one year. Dad was a rock solid citizen and man. Except for the white lie about age to join the service, he never broke a law or fibbed about anything. He disciplined his kids with justice, fairness, the board, and with love. Jim was admitted to the Ussery-Roan State Veterans Home in Amarillo last year. Jim's children are James and Cathy Hurst II of Corpus Christi, Texas; Rick and Katie Hurst of Amarillo, Texas; Ron and Debbie Hurst of Savannah, Georgia; Judy and LeRoy Goulette, of Bluffton, South Carolina; and John and Tricia Hurst, of San Antonio, Texas. His siblings are Dolores and Clifford Fortney in Denver, Colorado; Kenneth Hurst of Clarksburg, West Virginia, and Donald Hurst (deceased.) Jim's in-laws are Charlotte Boudreaux of La Porte, Texas and Herb and Jackie Roder of Port Clinton, Ohio. Jim's grandchildren and great-grandchildren - James Milent Hurst of Chicago, Illinois; Holly and Kelley Spence and sons Todd and Luke of Lewisville, Texas; Rick Hurst of Valdosta, Georgia and son Seth Hurst of Amarillo, Texas; Matt Hurst of Amarillo, Texas and daughters Madison and Kristen of Abilene, Texas; Aaron Matthew Sampson of Savannah, Georgia; Danielle Ince of Amarillo, Texas; Rachel and Kelly Potter and kids Mackenzie, Keldon, and Kyleigh of San Antonio, Texas; Billy Steere and daughter Breanna of Austin, Texas; and Jeffrey Steere and son Kaleb of San Antonio, Texas. In