James Vernon "Jim" Garrett, Jr.

James Vernon “Jim” Garrett, Jr. James Vernon “Jim” Garrett, Jr., was born on April 10, 1940, in Texarkana, Arkansas, to James Vernon Garrett, Sr. and Quida Hughes Garrett. On Friday, July 1, 2011, Jim passed in Huntsville, Texas at age 71. Graduated from high school in Bossier, Louisiana in 1958; attended Kilgore Jr. College, Northwestern Louisiana State and University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana and received his B. S. degree on June 3, 1963. Jim joined the U.S. Air Force in September, 1963; went to OTS in San Antonio at Lackland Air Force Base where after 90 days got a First Lieutenant Commission . His first orders were to Biloxi, Mississippi where he went to Air Traffic Control School. He went on to Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan, where he was made Captain and was voted one of top 10% outstanding young Lieutenants in PACAF. After getting his Regular Commission, there were four First Lieutenants and one Captain working for him because he was running Approach Control in and out of Okinawa, where he served for thirty-nine months. Jim returned to Tinker Air Force Base in Mid-West City, Oklahoma and served there for a year. Jim moved to Houston and attended University of Houston where he received his law degree in twenty-five months and was in the top 10% of his class; was offered a position Harris County D.A. Office under Carrol Vance in 1971; attended Sam Houston State University and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence; went into private practice in 1974. He became Criminal Justice Coordinator in 1985 for Harris County and moved into the First Magistrate Judge for Harris County in 1987 and remained there until retirement in 2005. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Kate (Roberts) Garrett; three daughters, Veronica Lynn Auger and husband, Ed Foley, Rebecca Dawn Garrett and Mary Beth Johnson and Kimberly Ann Helms and husband, Roy Smith Helms, Jr.; granddaughter, Chelsea Brieanne Taylor and her father, Shannon Taylor; grandsons, Garrett Houston Helms and Hunter James Helms; brother Hughes Bentley Garrett and wife, Shirley; sister, Mary Carolyn Jackson and Husband, Everitte Jackson; adopted daughters, Angela Waltman, Lisa McCarter, Valerie Thornhill, Regina Delgado and Dee Robuck. Mr. Garrett, Jr., will lie in state on Tuesday, July 5, 2011, from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Huntsville, Texas. Family will receive friends Tuesday, July 5, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held Wednesday, July 6, 2011, 10:00 a.m., at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with burial to follow at Center Hill Cemetery in Oakhurst, Texas. Those wishing to leave memorial condolences for the family may do so at www.shmfh.com

James Vernon "Jim" Garrett, Jr.

April 10, 1940 - July 1, 2011