James Hollis Stripling

Jim was a man who believed deeply in hard work and in his family. Over the course of their marriage, Jim and Marliese’ built much of their life together with their own hands. Raising a family, building a business, creating a home, giving back to the community wherever possible, and walking through life with a faith that helped carry them through both the blessings and the challenges.

Some of Jim’s happiest memories were made in the middle of ordinary family life… hunting with the boys, playing sports with the kids, chasing his grandchildren and hiding from them during endless games of hide-and-seek, watching A&M football with Marliese’, and taking trips to Cabo with family and friends. He loved the fun, the noise, the laughter, and simply having the people he loved together… the kind of moments that never seem important enough at the time but somehow became the ones that mattered most.

Like every life and every family, ours was not perfect. There were beautiful seasons and there were difficult ones. But one of the greatest gifts God gave our family came during the final months of his life.

As so many of the distractions of everyday life fell away, there was room for conversations that had needed to happen for a long time. Wounds were acknowledged. Regrets were spoken out loud. Forgiveness was asked for and given. Relationships softened and there was healing in many places where we were not sure healing would ever come.

It did not erase the past or make every difficult thing suddenly uncomplicated. Instead, it reminded us of something we believe deeply: God does not waste anything. Even in the middle of tremendous suffering, He was still working. He was giving us opportunities for grace, forgiveness and reconciliation that we might otherwise never have had.

Jim fought cancer exactly the way he lived — stubbornly. He kept pushing when his body told him to stop, kept trying when the odds became smaller, and held on with everything he had. Watching someone who had always been so strong become increasingly vulnerable was heartbreaking for those who loved him. But even there, God gave us moments we will always treasure.

In the end, our prayers changed. We continued to pray for healing, but we also began to understand that healing does not always look the way we ask God for it to look. Sometimes healing happens in a body, and sometimes it happens in relationships, in hearts, in forgiveness, and finally in being released from suffering altogether.

We are deeply grateful for the time we were given — for the hunting trips, the ball games, Aggie football, the Cabo sunsets, the ordinary days we didn’t know would someday feel extraordinary, and especially for the conversations that took place over the last few months.

Jim is no longer fighting. We take great comfort in believing that he is now completely whole, free from pain and in the presence of Jesus.

Those of us who remain will miss his personality, his stubborn determination, his ability to rig almost anything, his stories, his presence, and all the things that made Jim unmistakably Jim. We will carry both the grief of losing him and the gratitude of having had the opportunity to say so many of the things that needed to be said.

He leaves behind Marliese’, his wife and partner of almost 29 years, and the family they built together. His children, Ashley Power, Austin Stripling, Clayton Bird (and Allison), Dalton Stripling (and Lexy Lynn), Emily Stripling and Cory Davis (and Katherine), . He was blessed with 18 grandchildren, who brought another generation of love and laughter into his life: Haley, Sarah, Samarah, RandiLeigh (and Jack), Keith, Jaiden, Tanner, Tait, Chase, Walker, Skyler, Zeek, Maverick, Sloan, Tate, Stetson, Baker and Stevie. He is also survived by his mother, Denelda “Dee” Stripling; his brothers, Raymond (and Holly), Will, and Tyler; his In-laws, Gene and Priscilla, whose love and presence were a meaningful part of his life for many years; and many extended family members and dear friends whose lives were touched by Jim and who loved him dearly.

Jim is preceded in death by the father who raised him as his own, Johnnie Stripling, his biological father, Denver Hollis Posey; his maternal and paternal grandparents; and Marliese’s grandmother, Anna, who was also very special to him.

The Memorial Service Information:

Cashner Funeral Home in Conroe Texas

Tuesday, October 13th

2:00pm

Immediately following the service @ approximately 4:00 p.m, A Celebration of Jim’s Life will be held at the Stripling residence, where family and friends are invited to gather and continue celebrating Jim’s life.