Jim Mays

Jim went to be with his Savior on November 29, 2014. He was born September 7, 1923 to Vernon and Ethel Mays in New Salem, Texas. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Carol; son, Jay and wife Susan; daughter, Kay; grandsons, Trey, and Bobby and wife Taryn; sisters, Mary Justice, "Dutch" Monzingo, Rebecca Risinger, and Ann Hollingsworth; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Jim’s father was a cattleman, and the Great Depression took a huge toll on rural America and it did not bypass the Mays family. Jim’s first job was working in a tomato cannery near New Salem for 10 cents an hour. He graduated from Henderson High School in 1939. He worked in the shipyards in Orange, Texas as a sheet metal worker as part of the war effort during World War II. He eventually enlisted and served his country proudly in the Army Air Corps achieving the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

After the war was over he entered the University of Texas and graduated from the School of Law. He spent his summers working in West TX as a roughneck and roustabout for the Magnolia Corporation (now Mobil of Exxon Mobil) During this time, he met the love of his life, Carol Owens, and they were married on September 1, 1951. He was hired by the California Co. as a petroleum landman, and they spent the first few years of their married life in Jackson, MS. and Brewton, AL. He travelled all over Mississippi, Alabama and Florida putting together large lease blocks, including leases in Florida’s Jay Field. Not wanting to climb the corporate ladder, he left the California Company after a couple of years, and struck out on his own, doing land work for various independents. During this time, he met Thomas Mellon (T. M.) Evans who was looking to buy timberland, primarily in Florida. As a result, Jim taught himself all about the timber business, which would later prove useful in dealing with land owned by his own family.

Although they were not able to buy any timberland, Jim made such an impression on Mr. Evans that he hired Jim as head of the land department of his oil and gas company, Evans Production Company. Jim and Bill Craig opened the Tyler exploration office for Evans before Jim moved back to Dallas to become President of Evans Production. Jim developed the ability to remember and recall all sorts of information regarding the oil business, including the uncanny knack to remember new field discovery wells, the fields they discovered and when they were discovered. He was a walking oil business encyclopedia.

Due to various reasons, Mr. Evans decided to get out of the oil business around 1964 and Jim subsequently managed several small independent companies until the early 1970’s when he started his own career as a petroleum consultant and purchased some gas production in South Texas. This launched his own oil and gas company, in which he continued to be active until his death.

He was a self-made professional in the oil & gas business and enjoyed the challenges and opportunities of it from the time he started in it. He was not a big joiner, but over the years and at various times belonged to the Dallas Petroleum Club, IPAA, and AAPL.

He was a history buff, which fit perfectly into the land aspect of the oil and gas business. The research of land titles is simply a study of the history of the ownership of a piece of land, which in turn leads to history of the families that owned it, that is, genealogy. He would read any history book you gave him, but was particularly interested in the Civil War, and World Wars I and II. In the last several years he had also become fascinated with the Scotch/Irish that settled in Appalachia.

He and Carol did everything together. Until Jay and Kay were in Jr. High school, Jim and Carol would travel, usually on trips related to business, but combined with pleasure. If they found some place they liked, they would go back, this time taking Jay and Kay. These were not just family vacations; they were family adventures to Vermont in the fall, New York City, San Francisco, the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado, Carlsbad Caverns, and Lake Tahoe. Tahoe became their destination of choice (with side trips to Las Vegas, of course).

Jim and Carol both became avid followers of horse racing, enjoying trips to the race tracks in Louisiana and Arkansas, watching the Triple Crown races and the Breeders Cup races.

Above all else, he loved his family. He loved for us all to be together, whether it was on vacation, holidays, or even just breakfast, lunch or dinner.

He provided strength and stability for us all, and for many of you, and he will be deeply missed.

Flowers will be received at the funeral home, or a memorial gift can be made to the Salvation Army in Jim Mays’ honor at www.donate.salvationarmyusa.org

A Private graveside service for Jim will be on Monday, December 8, 2014 at 1:00 PM at Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery. A Memorial service for Jim will be on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at Ted Dickey West Funeral Home at 1:00 PM, located at 7990 George Bush Turnpike Dallas, TX 75252.