James Louis Bernard Tschirhart, lovingly known to all as "Frenchie", departed us on December 13, 2025. He was born on Saturday, December 20, 1938, in Ervy-le-Chatel in the Champagne Region of France, to father Arnold J. Tschirhart and mother Lucie Tissot.
On December 5, 1945, at the age of six, James came to the United States aboard the ship, Gripsholm, with his father, mother, siblings, and two nieces. They landed at Ellis Island and took a train from New York City to San Antonio, TX. They settled on a farm in Atascosa, TX, where their family lived in a small, four-room house and worked the land. James's mother fed their family wonderful meals and he helped on the farm by picking corn and cotton and caring for the animals.
James attended Idlewild School, a one-room schoolhouse, where James not only learned the curriculum, but also learned how to speak English. In 1957, he graduated from Southwest High School, where he played on the football and basketball teams, served as Library Club President, Junior President, and Student Council Secretary, and was aptly named "Cutest Boy" by his peers.
James attended San Antonio College for two years. His day started with a 4:00 am shift at the dairy, followed by classes, working the family farm, and other part time jobs. With the help of his friends, James tended and harvested an onion patch that his father gifted to him. They would sell the produce at El Mercado in San Antonio to help with college expenses. James applied to and was accepted by the University of Texas where he graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
James became a father in 1961 with the birth of Leslie in San Antonio, TX. James welcomed his second child, Beau, in 1977 in Austin, TX. He loved his children and was always supportive.
James was a cultivator of ideas, experiences, gardens, and relationships. An eccentric entrepreneur, who throughout college and after, sold Vita Craft cookware, china, and crystal, claiming the top salesman title for many years. With financial savvy, he invested in real estate and other ventures. He loved to hunt and fish in the Texas Hill Country, lakes, and Gulf Coast. He was a builder who, with his own two hands, built four homes along the Colorado River and Canyon Lake. James found beauty where none was expected, planting gardens in forgotten corners to cultivate food and flowers to nourish and delight his friends, loved ones, and people he'd just met. He created friendships everywhere he went and was deeply loyal to his lifelong friends.
James is preceded in death by his parents and his six siblings: Nanette Tschirhart, John Tschirhart, Henry Arnold Tschirhart, Jacquiline Pailthorpe, Lucette Wideman, Suzanne Stanfield, and Jenny Padilla.
He is survived by his two children, Leslie, Beau (Sarah); his grandchildren Ilona, Leila, and Ford; and many beloved nieces and nephews.
Celebration of life will be held on January 31, 2026. For event details and to RSVP, please visit www.mykeeper.com/Frenchie/.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Texas at the following website: https://ccatexas.org/donate/ or by check to CCA Texas, 6919 Portwest Dr., Suite 100, Houston, TX 77024.
On December 5, 1945, at the age of six, James came to the United States aboard the ship, Gripsholm, with his father, mother, siblings, and two nieces. They landed at Ellis Island and took a train from New York City to San Antonio, TX. They settled on a farm in Atascosa, TX, where their family lived in a small, four-room house and worked the land. James's mother fed their family wonderful meals and he helped on the farm by picking corn and cotton and caring for the animals.
James attended Idlewild School, a one-room schoolhouse, where James not only learned the curriculum, but also learned how to speak English. In 1957, he graduated from Southwest High School, where he played on the football and basketball teams, served as Library Club President, Junior President, and Student Council Secretary, and was aptly named "Cutest Boy" by his peers.
James attended San Antonio College for two years. His day started with a 4:00 am shift at the dairy, followed by classes, working the family farm, and other part time jobs. With the help of his friends, James tended and harvested an onion patch that his father gifted to him. They would sell the produce at El Mercado in San Antonio to help with college expenses. James applied to and was accepted by the University of Texas where he graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
James became a father in 1961 with the birth of Leslie in San Antonio, TX. James welcomed his second child, Beau, in 1977 in Austin, TX. He loved his children and was always supportive.
James was a cultivator of ideas, experiences, gardens, and relationships. An eccentric entrepreneur, who throughout college and after, sold Vita Craft cookware, china, and crystal, claiming the top salesman title for many years. With financial savvy, he invested in real estate and other ventures. He loved to hunt and fish in the Texas Hill Country, lakes, and Gulf Coast. He was a builder who, with his own two hands, built four homes along the Colorado River and Canyon Lake. James found beauty where none was expected, planting gardens in forgotten corners to cultivate food and flowers to nourish and delight his friends, loved ones, and people he'd just met. He created friendships everywhere he went and was deeply loyal to his lifelong friends.
James is preceded in death by his parents and his six siblings: Nanette Tschirhart, John Tschirhart, Henry Arnold Tschirhart, Jacquiline Pailthorpe, Lucette Wideman, Suzanne Stanfield, and Jenny Padilla.
He is survived by his two children, Leslie, Beau (Sarah); his grandchildren Ilona, Leila, and Ford; and many beloved nieces and nephews.
Celebration of life will be held on January 31, 2026. For event details and to RSVP, please visit www.mykeeper.com/Frenchie/.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Texas at the following website: https://ccatexas.org/donate/ or by check to CCA Texas, 6919 Portwest Dr., Suite 100, Houston, TX 77024.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James Louis Bernard Tschirhart, please visit our flower store.
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