Jimmy O'Neal Alexander

Jimmy O'Neal Alexander, age 78, of Cove, Arkansas, passed away Friday December 3, 2010 in Mena. He was born August 9, 1932 in Malakoff, Texas to the late True Alexander and the late Lela Elba Scott Alexander. He was united in marriage to Lula Thomas on December 13, 1952. He was a foreman for Shell Oil Company and was also a veteran, serving his country in the United States Army. Jimmy was very active in his community and served on the Cove Rural Volunteer Fire Department, of which he was also Director, as well as Director of the Western Arkansas Fire and Rescue, and Vision 2010 Quality of Life. He was a member of Super Church for 15 years where he was a bus driver, maintenance officer, sound director and was on the Board of Trustees. Jimmy was also a member of the Hatfield Assembly of God and the Shell DPMC Retirees. He was the founder of Jim Alexander Enterprises, the largest metal detector retail dealer for Garrett's and White's for many years, and was the first dealer in Houston, Texas. He was the founder of Marine and Treasure Salvage, he was a rescue diver for the Harris County Sheriff's Department, was founder of the THAP, Treasure Hunter's Association of Pasadena, co-founder of the Houston Underwater Club, he discovered pre-spanish town building in a desert near TOC New Mexico, which he gave to the state. He was the former owner of Ghost Town of Gleeson, Arizona with 37 patented gold claims mined until the early 1950's. He field tested Garrett Detectors prior to market and built the first underwater metal detector. He excavated Jacob's Well for scuba diving exploration and began scuba diving right after Cousteau invented the Aqua Lung. He searched and found gold in the Australian Outback as well as searching 200 year old shipwrecks of the coast of Belize. Jim went on the original trip with the U.S. Navy and Houston Museum of Natural History to discover a living coral reef in the Gulf of Mexico, now known as the Flower Gardens, a popular scuba diving destination. He re-vamped the Shell Oil Utility Department Safety Program, writing operations manuals for Shell Oil Central Power Station. He was a specialist in industrial underwater, medical, scientific, law enforcement, security, and surveying metal detector applications. He served as an expert witness as metal detection expert for law enforcement agencies on local and federal levels. He taught geology at San Jacinto College and worked with Hard Hat diving company bringing up chlorine containers lost in the Mississippi River, working over dangerously explosive chemicals after all towns were evacuated because of danger. Jim obtained a new building for Cove RVFD, new trucks and other equipment through grants, and built the first Helipad south of Mena at Cove RVFD, now listed on State airport maps. While in the Army, he was in a unit which tested secret tanks in the Mojave Desert at the end of the Korean War, and the tanks were used in the Vietnam War. He had a full life and will be greatly missed by all who loved him. He is survived by: Wife: Lula Alexander of Cove, Arkansas Grandson: Charles 'Charlie' Alexander and wife Kesha of Springfield, Missouri Brothers: Robert Alexander and wife Beth of Cove, Arkansas Gerald Alexander and wife Ruth of Waller, Texas Sister: Shirley Murphy of Orange, Texas Many nieces and nephews and a host of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, True and Lela Alexander, two sons, Charles Edward Alexander and Stephen Alan Alexander. Funeral services will be held Monday, December 6, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the Hatfield Assembly of God with Brother Ronnie Tilley and Kevin Price officiating. Interment will be in Grandview Memorial Cemetery in Pasadena Texas. Arrangements are under the direction of the Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Pallbearers will be Steve Oglesby, Ken Headley, Boyd Cecil, Daniel Egger, Steve Jurina and Donnie Jewell. Honorary pallbearers will be his nephews, Arthur Manning, Scott Fowler, Troy Alexander, Shawn Alexander, Darvan Alexander, and Dalva Alexander.