James Darrell McCoy

James, or JD, as he was known to his family, was born in Grove, Iowa, the first of 3 children,born to John Lewis and Erma Margaret McCoy. His father, John was a plumber and his Mom did whatever small things she could to keep the family financially stable. Dad’s sister, Norma Maxine was a year younger than him and then his younger brother Thomas was born 12 years later. Although his family moved many times, the house on 63rd street in Des Moines held a wealth of great memories for him.

JD attended Roosevelt High School in Des Moines and he was very active in sports there. In his senior year, he went to live with his grandparents who had a farm out in Dexter. He loved helping out at the farm and spending time with his extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

In his last year of high school, JD worked part-time at a convenience store in town. He said his manager liked him and offered him financial advice for his future. JD respected him and applied the ideas he learned throughout his life.

After high school graduation in 1945, JD joined the army and put in one year of service. His unit took him over to Tokyo, Japan where he was present for the beginning of the Nuremburg/Tokyo War Crimes Trial. He interacted daily with all the prisoners and possesses many historic photographs from this time of service.

Coming home from service, he got a job with Colonial Bread company as a bread salesman in Des Moines. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, JD was out in his bread truck each morning at 3 am making deliveries to all the stores on his distribution route.

Around 1951, his sister Maxine and his mother had moved to California. JD went to visit them during his vacation in January away from snowy Iowa. It only took one trip of sunshine and palm trees for JD to realize he was ready to make a big change in his life. When he returned to work, he started investigating. One of his managers at Colonial, had a contact at Webers Bread in Los Angeles. JD made the call and had an interview the next week. He got the job and sang California, here I come during the drive out west.

He was now living in LA close to his sister and mother. His first cousin, Donald, lived here too. Donald was married to Dorothy and her sister Donna was coming out to see them and spend time with their new baby, Cheryl, who was born in January 1953. Donald told Donna that he thought she would really like his cousin, JD. Donna thought JD was handsome but felt he wasn’t interested in her. JD was very much interested and they were married February 28, 1954 in Santa Monica.

JD and Donna lived in Santa Monica for two years and then learned of new housing being built in Orange County in the country outskirts of a small town called Buena Park. They bought their Alden home for $14,500 in 1956 and as first owners moved in February 1956 right before the birth of their second daughter, Patricia.

At the time they moved in, Buena Park was all fields and dairy farms. Slowly over the years, buildings replaced the open land and their three children grew up here. JD added a patio and an enclosed family room in the 1970s.

JD worked for about 40 years with Webers Bread and retired at the age of 62. He and Donna went on cruises with his work colleagues and enjoyed monthly gatherings where there was no shortage in laughter and frivolity.

In his later years, JD took care of his wife, Donna as she became frail and suffered from dementia. She passed away on December 5, 2017. After her death, JD needed some help and hired Zie Ramirez who lived and lovingly cared for him until his recent death.

JD is survived by 3 children, Linda, Patti, and Mike. He also is survived by his adopted daughter, Pam and her two children, Jayson Wilde ,Jennifer Wilde Lothrop and daughter Lilah.

JD will be buried next to Donna at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cypress, California.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.funerariadelangelanaheim.com for the McCoy family.