James Henry Thomasson

Our dear spiritual brother, James Henry Thomasson, known to all as Jim or Jimmy, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday January 3, 2024 in Lubbock, Texas after a battle with cancer. Jim was born on October 16, 1933 in Chillicothe, Texas on a farm to Jim and Edna Thomasson. On March 26, 1958, he married Joanne Ripley in Midland, Texas. He always called her the most beautiful girl in the world. Jimmy and Joanne made their home in Lubbock, Texas where they raised four children Suzy, Ted, Lisa, and Laura. Jim lived most of his life as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. He had been baptized in 1940 at 7 years of age. In time, he appreciated the need to make a personal dedication to Jehovah God, so he symbolized his dedication by water baptism on March 30, 2008. He loved reading the Bible for the congregation at meetings, and many friends have mentioned that as being one of their favorite memories of him. Jim loved to travel, taking his family on many road trips all over Texas and several other states. On these trips he shared with his children a love of Jehovah's creation and of history. His kids remember seeing many historical sites and stopping to read every historical marker they passed on the road. He loved to climb anything that was climbable too, so there were many sudden stops on the road for him to go climb rocks or trees. The family would wait by the car, and when he got to the top of the rock, or mountain, or telephone pole, he would wave and Joanne would snap a picture. That was also a favorite hobby of his... photography. Anyone who ever visited their home has seen some of the pictures Jim took. He loved to share his photographs and tell the story that went with each picture. One young sister shared with the family that she loved looking at Brother Thomasson's pictures and seeing him on top of rocks and looking at all the big hairstyles everybody had back then. He loved his family, both past and present. He taught his children that same love and passed on a love and respect for family history through old photographs and visits to cemeteries. Jim was also an animal lover and had several beloved pets including a pet pig as a boy and several dogs . . . a German Shepherd named Poochie Pie and a Husky named Yukon, amongst others. After his three oldest children were grown, he and Joanne still took trips but with their youngest daughter, Laura, and grandkids in tow. He was a wonderful and very beloved grandpa who hung the moon for his grandkids. He would spend hours reading to them and doing different voices for each different character. He cracked and shelled pecans every fall and Sarah's favorite memory is cracking pecans with her grandpa. Stephanie remembers him entertaining her by being "the only person in the world who could make whipped cream crunch." Chance remembers always stopping at Dairy Queen on road trips, and loving finding the treasures his grandpa "planted" in the dirt around the century plants he grew in the backyard. Justin loved a trip to Palo Duro Canyon when grandpa refused to stay on the set path. Instead, he went his own way, jumping across rocks set at least 6 to 8 feet apart, and entertaining everyone around. Jim is survived by his cherished wife of 65 years, Joanne. Their 4 children and their spouses: daughter Suzy Crawford and husband Mark, son Ted Thomasson and wife Treva, daughter Lisa Bass and husband Johnny, and daughter Laura Madrid and her husband Jay. He also leaves his four grandchildren: Sarah Merritt and her husband Tim, Chance Thomasson and wife Alyssa, Stephanie Thomasson, and Justin Bass. In addition, he will be missed by his sister Jane LaRue and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. A memorial service will be held at 10:00AM Saturday, January 6, 2024 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 2520 80th Street, Lubbock, Texas. Friends unable to join the family in person can join by means of Zoom, using the Meeting ID 753 8887 0552 and Password 734693. The family wishes to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support during these last difficult months

James Henry Thomasson

October 16, 1933 - January 3, 2024