Jimmy L. Colson

Jimmy Colson was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Jimmy was born on November 27, 1946 at at home in Tampa in Tampa, Florida. His parents were Numan A. Colson and Melba Allene Bryan. Jimmy was raised in Ruskin, FL until he was 14 and moved to Azusa, CA. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Colson household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Jimmy was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Jimmy was raised with four siblings. He had two older brothers, Milton and Thomas, an older sister Kathy, and a younger sister Dana. Jimmy was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Jimmy and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Jimmy was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Jimmy was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Jimmy developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. In his spare time he liked to fish and hunt. He also loved cars. However, what Jimmy enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Jimmy was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Jimmy was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Jimmy to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, his best friend was Roger Rice.

Jimmy brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Jimmy was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Jimmy was blessed with one child, one daughter, Ginger Deann Hicks. They were also blessed with two grandchildren, Chrystal and Cassie.

Jimmy greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Jimmy enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Jimmy was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. He started off as a metal plater and eventually moved up to sales representative. He was employed for over 30 years. Jimmy worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Jimmy liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Jimmy always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were camping, fishing, and motorcycle riding. Jimmy was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Jimmy found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list was football.

Jimmy enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Jimmy appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Jimmy always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Jim was a homebody.

Jimmy was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Jimmy’s favorites was Socks, a beagle. They were best friends for 15 years.

When Jimmy’s retirement finally arrived in He was still working, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. Even in retirement, Jimmy continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Jimmy Colson passed away on August 1, 2010 at at home in Azusa. He is survived by his daughter, Ginger; his grand daughters Chrystal and Cassie; his mother, Melba; his brother Milton; and his sisters, Kathy and Dana. Services were held at Oakdale Memorial Park. Jimmy was laid to rest in Oakdale Memorial Park in Glendora, California.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Jimmy Colson. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.