James Maddox
November 17, 1930 — January 8, 2016
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Past Services
Visitation
Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel - Oran
Sunday, January 17, 2016
6:00 - 8:00 pm (Central time)
Funeral Service
Trinity United Methodist Church
Monday, January 18, 2016
Starts at 1:00 pm (Central time)
Interment
James Maddox
He grew up in a Christian home with much love and great cooking. His mother and Aunt Elma Cleland were known for their hospitality and culinary skills. This gave him his love of entertaining and enjoying time fellowshipping with family and friends. He loved having family and friends over to share a meal, play games, and visit.
While growing up Buddy’s family had a love of music and dancing. As a young boy he took dance and found that his true passion was for the drums. He practiced and played with an ensemble group called the Kennedy’s in St. Louis.
An honorably discharged veteran, he served his country during the Korean War as a member of the United States Navy. At the age of 17 his father told him he would sign his enlistment papers as long as he waited until after his mother’s birthday. His mother’s birthday was on January 27th and he enlisted on January 29th. After completing basic training in San Diego he was stationed on Guam for 18 months. He served as an MP. While serving there, Guam was hit by Typhoon Allyn, one of the most destructive to pass over the island. He had many pictures and would share stories of the devastation.
He had a thirty day leave when he left Guam and returned home to see family and friends. While home he purchased a Lionel train set and had a love of model railroading for the rest of his life. He enjoyed building the layouts, the buildings, and watching them run.
He then served on the USS Marios AO-57 and traveled around the world several times. He was initiated into the King Neptune Society as he crossed the equator for the first time. He entered the waters as a Pollywog and left a Trusty Shellback. While serving on the USS Marios they were iced into Barrow, Alaska after delivering a load of oil. They had to wait for ice breakers to clear a path to get back to sea. The USS Marios was being sent to the Mediterranean to be a tanker for the Sixth Fleet. Since he had less than a year to serve he was transferred to the USS Wyndham Bay CVE-92, an escort carrier.
The first day he arrived to report for duty, he asked permission to board and found he was on the USS Valley Forge, an aircraft carrier. When he told the officer where he had been assigned to he was told his ship was on the side. When he boarded his ship he said you could have fit three of them on the USS Valley Forge. While serving on the USS Wyndham Bay they delivered a load of aircraft to the French who were fighting in Vietnam. When they were delivering the air craft up the canals in Vietnam all US servicemen had to stay inside the ship and only French servicemen were seen on deck.
He was honorably discharged on January 11, 1952 and returned home to Mascoutah, Illinois. He started a position with Western Electric on March 10, 1952 that would lead to a life-time career with “Ma Bell” He was very skilled in “Cross Bar Switch” technology and traveled much of his career to set-up new locations or expand current ones. He rose in ranks through his professional and respected work ethics and transferred to Houston, Texas in 1974 where he remained until he retired, December 31, 1991 from Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. He retired as a First-Line Manager.
He would tell everyone that God gave him two women to love, one at a time…
He met his first wife, Iris Carolyn Clark Maddox, while working at Western Electric where she worked as a clerk. They married in 1954 and had two children, James Steven “Steve” Maddox and Sandra Jean “Sandy” Maddox Chase. He was a man with a strong faith and was very active at Eastview Baptist Church in Belleville, Illinois where he served as a deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, and was a member of their visitation team. He raised his family with strong Christian values, morals, and beliefs which they are very thankful for. Iris preceded him in death in 1997 after a long battle with breast cancer.
He started attending the Lamplighters Sunday School Class at Houston’s First Baptist Church and quickly met his second wife and last love of his life, Geraldine Parker Maddox. They enjoyed 15 years together and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with their many friends playing games and visiting. He loved playing Rumicube and Barefoot & Wild.
He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, cousin, and friend. He was loved by everyone that knew him. He was known as Great Paw Paw, Grandpa, Daddy, Jim, Uncle Buddy, and Buddy. He will be greatly missed by his family and his many friends. His family takes comfort in these words “When I come to the end of the road and the sun has set on me, I want no rites in a gloom filled room, why cry for a soul set free. Miss me a little—but let me go”
Jim is survived by his wife, Gerry Maddox of Houston, Texas, his son, Steve Maddox of Navasota, Texas, his daughter and son-in-law, Chris and Sandy Chase of Houston, Texas, his grandson, Jamie Maddox of Orchard, Texas, grandson-in-law, Aaron Robertson of Montgomery, Texas, four beautiful great grandchildren, Tyson, Madi, Reagan and Keri, special cousins, Butch and Barb Cleland of Belleville, Illinois, cousins, nieces, nephews, and many, many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Iris Maddox, his sister, Veloria Haas, his brother, Edward J. “Eddie” Maddox, and his granddaughter, Jessica Renee Robertson.
Friends may call after 6 p.m. on Sunday, January 17, 2016 at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran, MO.
Funeral Service will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, January 18, 2016 at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Oran, MO.
Burial will follow at Union Park Cemetery in Chaffee, MO.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James Maddox, please visit our flower store.
Past Services
Visitation
Sunday, January 17, 2016
6:00 - 8:00 pm (Central time)
Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel - Oran
Funeral Service
Monday, January 18, 2016
Starts at 1:00 pm (Central time)
Trinity United Methodist Church
Guestbook
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