James "Jim" Warren

James Franklin “Jim” Warren, Jr. 16 December 1965 – 7 August 2008 Jim Warren of Austin, Texas, was born in Houston, Texas on December 19, 1965 to James F. “Bud” Warren and Merle Whittaker Warren. He died in Austin on August 7, 2008 at the age of 42. In 1967, the family moved from Houston to Navasota, Texas, where Jim Warren became a true East Texan – fishing at The Place, hearing men tell stories at the barber shop and soda fountain, and learning from his parents, aunts, uncles and cousins about small town family values and the goodness of people. Jim’s father was the District Attorney in Grimes County and his uncle, Jeff Haynie, was the Mayor of Navasota. That is where Jim fell in love with people, language and politics. He carried that love throughout his all-to-short life and used it to inform, challenge and entertain many, many people. When Jim was 7 years old, the Warrens moved to Huntsville, Texas, where his father was the State District Judge for Walker, Leon, Madison and Grimes Counties. At that very young age, Jim “rode the circuit” with his Dad and became well known to those interesting men and women who did business in those old historical Texas courthouses. Jim watched and learned and soaked in the charm, eccentricities, wisdom and humor that formed his folksy personality. Jim attended Huntsville public schools and graduated from Huntsville High School in 1984. While in high school, Jim became a brilliant writer and won State Championships in writing contests. He wrote for sports for The Huntsville Item and had a column in that paper called Hornet Happenings. Often irreverent and sometimes controversial, Jim took a column about small-town high school life to new levels forming the basis for his wildly popular political Internet blogs 20 years later. Jim attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he wrote for The Daily Texan and Third Coast Magazine and was a cub political reporter for the Hearst News Bureau. In 1987, newly-minted Texas Secretary of State Jack Rains seized upon Jim’s young talent and hired him to be the first Press Secretary in the history of the SOS office. His talent was recognized and courted by many politicos, both Republicans and Democrats. After Republican Jack Rains’ unsuccessful gubernatorial bid, Jim went on to serve as a political advisor for the late and legendary Texas Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock, Texas Speaker of the House Pete Laney, Texas Senator and Attorney-General candidate J.E. “Buster” Brown, and many more. He was a lobbyist who thrived on the rules and process -- a “parliamentary wizard.” But, as he grew ill and was diagnosed with Heriditary Hemachromatosis in 2005, Jim turned back to his writing and started at least four Internet Blogs – the most famous of which was “Billy Clyde’s Political Hot Tub Party.” That is how he became known to thousands of people, some of whom he had never met, as Billy Clyde. Jim’s beloved father, Justice Bud Warren, predeceased him on August 13, 1990. Jim is survived by his mother, Merle Whittaker Warren of Huntsville, Texas; his sister, Jill Warren of Austin, Texas; his fraternal aunt and uncle Richard and Catherine Warren Pareya of Cypress and their children, Matt Pareya of Houston and Mark and Maschell Pareya of Cypress, and their daughter Morgan; his fraternal cousins, Tom and Susie Haynie and their children Lee Ann Haynie and T.J. Haynie, all of Navasota; Tony and Molly Haynie Doughtie, their daughter and son-in-law Will and Ashley Doughtie Butler, and Will and Ashley’s new son, Brett, all of Huntsville; Sally Haynie Bullock of Spring and her sons Rhett Haynie Bullock and Randall Richard Bullock of College Station; his maternal aunt and uncle Dr. Bruce and Rae Whittaker Taylor of Dallas, Texas and their children, Steven Taylor of Dallas and Paul and Robyn Taylor of Canton, Ohio. Family visitation will be held on Sunday, August 10, 2008 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Sam Houston Funeral Home in Huntsville, Texas. A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Huntsville on Monday, August 11, 2008 at 2:00pm. Those wishing to leave memorial condolences for the family may do so at www.shmfh.com.

James "Jim" Warren

December 19, 1965 - August 11, 2008