He served in the United States Army and was a member of the VFW. James enjoyed fishing and deer hunting. He was dearly loved by his family and will be missed. He was his daughter's Hero.
James was preceded in death by his sister, Sue Kuykendall and grandson, Douglas Kenneth Alan Matthews, Jr.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Carolyn (Deffendall) Noel; daughter, Pamela Phillips and son-in-law, Richard; and brother-in-law, Jack Kuykendall.
A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Alexander West Chapel, 2100 W. Illinois Street in Evansville. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. and will last until service time. Private entombment will be held at Alexander Memorial Park in Evansville, IN.
Condolences may be offered at www.AlexanderWestChapel.com.
