James Henry Mims III

James Henry Mims III of Houston, Texas, died July 16, 2022.

Graveside service: 11:15 am, Tuesday, July 26, 2022, at the Dallas- Fort Worth National Cemetery and will include full military honors to remember his service in the Marine Corps.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully request donations may be made to the following charities James supported. They are the St. Joseph Indian School, and any charity that supports veterans.

James was born February 1, 1940, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to James Henry Mims II and Lois Inez McGrew. He grew up in New Orleans and while he was a young boy, he was taught to play trumpet by Al Hirt, who went on to become a famous trumpet player. As a teenager, he was involved in the New Orleans Recreation Department, where he successfully coached multiple sports.

After high school, he joined the Marine Corps. He served 25 years, completed one tour in Vietnam, and was involved in several operations, including The Tet Offensive, the Siege of Khe Sanh, and the Battle of Hue. After retiring from the military as a Master Gunnery Sargeant, he spent approximately 14 years as an ROTC instructor with Pace High School, Brownsville, Texas, and Donna High School, Donna, Texas.

After a second retirement, he and his wife Libby enjoyed touring the U.S. in their RV. After his wife passed away, he continued traveling and volunteering at different RV clubs, Fort Chadbourne, Texas, and Fort Clark Springs, Texas. He also volunteered with The American Red Cross. During his time with the Red Cross, he assisted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Hurricane Charley in Florida. His hobbies included playing his trumpet, fishing, hiking, puttering in his garage, and traveling in his RV.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Margaret Elizabeth “Libby” Mims; and brother, Joseph Mims.

James Henry Mims III is survived by his three children, Virginia Cervantes, James Henry Mims IV, and Lee Ann Warner; grandchildren, Kimberly, Laura, Caitlin, and Savannah; and great-grandchildren, Madison, Colton, Aiden, Kamden, and Colin; siblings, John O. Mims from Auburn, Georgia and Margaret Gross from Perry, Florida; Cousins, Marianna Ritter from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Jane Siren from Covington, Louisiana.