Jim Graves passed away peacefully at his house on June 4th, 2018. Jim was born on July 22, 1927, in Uvalde, Texas. He was one of nine children of Lee and Claire Graves of Uvalde, Texas. The six siblings that preceded him in death are Lee, Jack, Ethel, Hoot, Betty and Bill Graves. Today only two sisters of the nine Graves children are alive, Doris Graves Reynolds of Uvalde and Mary Graves Hufstedler of Concan, Texas.
Jim was fourteen years old when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and all his High School years were war time and everyone was occupied with winning the war. He graduated from Uvalde High School in 1944, and began College at The University of Texas, which became near and dear to his heart. He was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity.
He graduated from University of Texas in 1948, with a major in accounting and received his CPA in 1950. Jim worked for a CPA firm in Houston for three years and in 1951, was hired as Tax Accountant for Magcobar, a Houston division of Dresser Industries based in Dallas. In 1956, he was made Controller of Magcobar.
On March 22, 1958, he married the first love, B.B. Tucker of Houston and they lived in Houston for ten years, where their children, Tucker, Sally and Christi where born. In 1968, Jim was made Controller of Operations and was transferred to Dresser Headquarters in Dallas.
In 1971, he was named Director of Planning, in 1976, Vice-President Corporate Planning and in 1980, was promoted to Senior VP of Corporate Planning and continued in the role until retirement in 1985. Jim was directly involved in handling of acquisition studies and negotiations and responsible for Operations Dresser Japan and the Information Systems department of the Company. On April 24, 1980, he received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Business Administration of the University of Texas at Austin. Also in retirement he continued to serve on the Executive Committee of Chancellor’s Council at the University of Texas at Austin.
In 1986, after retirement from Dresser, he and his wife B.B. moved to their family lake house on Lake Conroe in Walden and became members of Walden Community Church. They spent a year renovating the place and made the old house into a beautiful family friendly place for everyone to gather. Many fun times have been had by all in this wonderful place we all call “the White House”. Jim lost his beloved wife BB to colon cancer on May 29, 1992. Surviving her are their 3 children, Tucker Graves of Houston, Sally Beth Graves Robison and husband Scott in Dallas, Christi Lee Graves Saylors and husband Doug of Dallas and 8 grandchildren: Katie Lee Graves, Will Graves, Robin Graves, Billie Beth Ricca, Collyn Leigh Robison, Susan James Robison, Jamie Lee Saylors, Peyton Ann Saylors and one great grandchild Winnie Hargrove.
Jim was lucky enough to find a new love, Peggy Cire of Houston and on June 6, 1996, they were married in the Walden Community Church. Peggy Cire has five children: Scott Cire, Buck Cire, Peggy Hicks, Jennifer Dowdy and Steven Cire, plus eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren. They enjoyed taking many trips all over the world. Over the years, Jim has enjoyed a wonderful retirement at the lake hosting everything from family reunions to birthday and graduation parties to cousin camp with twenty-five kids. He enjoys nothing more than having the house full of people and playing bartender. As he says, “if you can’t have fun here, you can’t have fun anywhere!” Family means the world to him and in his own words he says, “I believe the most important things in life are the love of God, your wife, family and country.”
He left quite a legacy of love, loyalty and generosity and bestowed many pearls of wisdom to his loved ones for example, to his kids – “Shower your children with love, you cannot over do this. Make your home fun and welcoming to their friends and any guests.”
To his grandkids, “I urge you to plan your life and career. Nothing happens unless you make it happen. I deeply believe in the United States and you can do anything you want to do but you have to work hard to make it happen, nothing good comes the easy way.”
Jim loved hard, portrayed fierce loyalty, welcomed everyone with a sincere smile and genuine interest, enjoyed life, forgave easily, and never allowed anyone to be thirsty in his house.
Service will be at his beloved “White House” on 822 River Road Montgomery, Texas 77356, on Saturday June 9th, at noon. The service will be outside (dress casual in your longhorn attire for Jim). Honorary Pallbearers are Scott Robison, Doug Saylors, Bert Wagner, Jay Barrow, Jim Reynolds, Clint & Don Jungerman, Neal Graves, Browder Graves, and Emmett Capt.
In lieu of flowers you may make a donation to the JIM GRAVES GENEROSITY Fund of the Dallas Foundation (3963 Maple Ave, #390, Dallas, Texas 75219, or www.dallasfoundation.org) that will be given out to his favorite charities or you may bring a potted flowering plant because his pots have never gotten re-potted after Harvey. You are invited to view our webpage and leave written tributes to the family at cashnerconroe.com
