James Collier

James Eugene Collier, 82, of Marble Falls, Texas, died on Thursday, January 12, 2012. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, June 29, 1929 to Floyd and Juanita Collier. Most of his childhood was spent in Van Buren, Arkansas with three brothers, Richard, Norman, and Neil and one sister, Sherry. James graduated from Arkansas Tech at Russelville, Arkansas in 1951 with a degree in Math. While at Tech he played basketball with the AIC Wonder Boys and there he met his wife, Janiece McGraw Collier at auditions for the Acapella Choir. They were married in 1952. After service in the Air Force during the Korean War, he attended the University of Texas in Austin and received a degree in Architectural Engineering in 1956. He worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in Austin until 1963, and then transferred to Housing and Urban Development in Fort Worth, Texas. James retired in 1980 and started Collier Cabinets, developing his talents in woodworking. James built their “Lake House” in Marble Falls and they moved there in 1986.

Family, music and woodworking were his greatest joys. He sang in a men’s quartet at Arkansas Tech, with the Austinaires in Austin, and most recently with the Saints Alive in Marble Falls. He was the first director of the Austin Chord Rangers, a Barbershop Chorus in Austin, then choir director of Asbury United Methodist Church in Austin, as well as the St. Paul Methodist church in Hurst, Texas. Building furniture, turning bowls on his wood lathe and gardening were his hobbies since moving to Marble Falls.

James is survived by his wife of 59 years, Janiece of Marble Falls, daughter Susan Hanson of Austin, TX and her husband Steven, daughter Sara Yarbrough of Chicago, Illinois and her husband Chris, grandsons Matthew and Jacob Hanson of Austin,, TX, Corey Yarbrough of Chicago, IL , and granddaughters Kalli Rose Hanson of Austin and Ashley Yarbrough of Chicago. James and Janiece had two foreign exchange student daughters from Germany, Gina Schmerder of Kiel and Franca Christal of Bamburg. He is also survived by his brother, Neil Collier and wife Betty Sue of Temple, TX and sister Sherry Lange and her husband Tony of Garland, TX.

Memorial services will be Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 3:00 PM at First United Methodist Church, Marble Falls, TX with Rev. Ellen Ely and Rev. Cleon Flanagan officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations may be made to the Rex and Loraine Jackson Scholarship Fund at the First United Methodist Church, 1101 Bluebonnet Dr, Marble Falls, TX 78654 or Hugworks, an organization that develops innovative ways to address the special needs of children through live therapeutic music, 752 Mary Drive, Hurst, TX 76053.

Condolences may be offered a www.clementswilcoxfuneralhome.com

Arrangements are under the direction of Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home of Marble Falls.