Jimmie Don Fendley

September 14, 1939 – January 8, 2017

Parents: Jessie Lee and Emma Mae Beran Fendley

Jim graduated from Smithville High School in 1958 and enlisted in the US Navy, serving as a Hospital Corpsman. His ship, the USS Thetis Bay, deployed the first 3,000 Marines off the coast of Laos at the start of the Vietnam conflict. He was honorably discharged in 1962 and married Mary Lou Cox. They were blessed with two wonderful children, Floyd Lee and Mary Alison.

Working in outside sales at Calcasieu Lumber Company, Jim was named Distinguished Salesman four years by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Austin. He started his own homebuilding business in Austin in 1973, and continued building and remodeling after moving to Smithville in 1987. Jim worked until Friday before going into the hospital the following Monday.

Jim served as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader, played and coached softball for many years, loved to fish, and looked forward to going to Port Aransas every fall to flounder fish. Jim taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, and was a deacon at a former church.

Among his favorite activities was building props for dance teams in Central Texas, the Roosevelt High School Patriots dance team in San Antonio, and the Texas State Strutters Dance Team.

He was currently a member of the Roosevelt High School Spirit Booster Club and Community Bible Church in San Antonio.

Survivors are his wife, Mary Lou, son Floyd and wife Debbie), and daughter Alison and husband Doyle Redding. He so loved his four grandchildren, Ashley, Weston, and Brooke Redding and Kyndal Fendley. He is also survived by two brothers, Robert Lee and Henry Jack, sister Mattie Huse, and several nieces and nephews.