James H LaFon

James “Jim” Henry LaFon was born December 31, 1935 in Norman, Oklahoma. He was promoted to Glory on October 20, 2024 at 88 years old. Jim graduated from Norman High School in 1953. He earned his Eagle Scout Award in the Boy Scouts. He received a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1958 and a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Missouri in 1967. Jim was in the ROTC at OU and continued on with a 20 year career in the Air Force (1958 to 1978). He loved his years in the Air Force. A big part of his military career was spent flying missions in B-52s as an Electronic Warfare Officer. Jim was a Vietnam War Veteran. He was awarded multiple medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, for “extraordinary achievement”, in the Vietnam War. After the military, he had careers with Service Master, Austin Power, and Lockheed. Jim has resided in Grand Prairie, Texas since 1985. He was a member of First Baptist Dallas for 37 years and is currently a member of The Oaks Baptist Church. He has served as a deacon in several churches through the years, including FBC Dallas. He served in Children’s Sunday School and AWANA at FBC Dallas along with many mission trips to the orphanages in Mexico. He also was able to serve with Texas Baptist Men in several places and after the tsunami in Sri Lanka. He loved opportunities to serve others.

Jim married the love of his life, Mary Jo Britton, on March 30, 1963 in Montgomery, Alabama. They celebrated their 61st anniversary this year with joy! Jim was the son of the late James Earl LaFon and Martha Gladys Quigg. All of Jim’s siblings are still living – Mary Gayle Smith, John (Sissy) LaFon, and Margaret LaFon. Jim had two children – Linn (Ned) Beall and Chris (Heather) LaFon. The pride and joy of his life was his 16 grandchildren and his 23 great-grandchildren (with four more on the way in the next few months!) Jim loved to shock people with the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren he had when he only had two children. Jim is much loved by his family along with his many nieces and nephews. His home was always open to family and others who wanted to live with him at times. Jim was known to the grandchildren as “Pepaw”. Everyone knew and appreciated his many jokes he loved to share multiple times. “Silly old Pepaw”! His family misses him greatly.