Edward "Jimmy" James Born Jr.

Edward James “Jimmy” Born, Jr. passed away on March 7, 2024 at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in the Spinal Cord Injuries Unit, Houston, Texas. He was surrounded by family, doctors and staff that had loved and served him for many years. Eddie leaves behind a legacy of courage, love, and one heck of a sense of humor.

He was born on June 4, 1949 in Houston, Texas to Edward James Born, Sr. and Elsie Born. He grew up in Cottage Grove, Houston and graduated from Reagan High School in 1967.

Eddie served his country by enlisting in the United States Army, First Cavalry Intelligence in 1968 serving his tour in Vietnam marked with acts of bravery and selflessness, earning him the respect and admiration of his fellow soldiers. Upon returning from Vietnam, Eddie married his Regan High School sweetheart, Debra Warr. They started their life together in Germany while Eddie completed active duty service. He was fully discharged in 1974 after he and Debbie settled in Houston.

In 1980, Eddie was in a life-altering automobile crash that left him a T-4 paraplegic. In true Eddie fashion, he found the silver lining making the best of his situation. It was during this time that Eddie would tell you that his faith grew exponentially. It caused him to prioritize his faith and family above all.

In 2013, Eddie retired from being an assistant coordinator to the chief in the spinal cord injuries unit at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Hospital. For 35 years, “Fast Eddie” enjoyed his position and used it to mentor returning disabled veterans, encouraging them to live life to its fullest after their disability. His service was recognized when he won “Man of the Year” for the Veterans Association. In addition to his job at the hospital, he volunteered and was an advocate for the Houston Paralyzed Veterans Association and Texas Institution for Rehabilitation and Recovery (TIRR).

Eddie created lifelong relationships inside the Lutheran community, Aldine Little League Baseball, Eisenhower band parents, and “The Perfect 10”. He and Debbie forged great memories together with all these different groups.

Many family memories were made watching Houston sports where Eddie was always rooting for the home team: Phi Slama Jama, University of Houston, the “Love Ya Blue” era of the Oilers, the Ryan Express of the Houston Astros and the Twin Towers of the Houston Rockets, and of course, our beloved Houston Texans. He may have been biased, but he was strong in his convictions for his Houston teams.

The family will always remember Eddie as a great role model, mentor, coach, friend, husband, father, and grandfather that loved his family above all.

Edward is preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, his sons, Chris and wife, Kelly, and Jonathan and wife, Casey, and his grandchildren Corbin, Korigan, Grayson, Kennedy, Noah, Owen, and Annabelle. He is also survived by his sister, Patricia Bermingham and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

A Visitation for Edward will take place on March 20, 2024 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home 18000 Interstate 45 S, The Woodlands, TX 77384. A Celebration Of Life will take place on March 21, 2024 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm at Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home and will be followed by a Graveside Service at Houston National Cemetery 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77038 from 2:15 pm - 2:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to:

Paralyzed Veteran of America- Texas Chapter 2656

PO Box 989

Crosby, TX 77532

713-520-8782

or at https://texaspva.org/donate/.