James Boyles Jr.

1932 - 2014

James A. Boyles Jr. died peacefully Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, at his home in Blue Mound. Service: 1 p.m. Thursday at DeBerry Funeral Directors in Denton. Interment: Prairie Mound Cemetery, Argyle. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. James was born Feb. 3, 1932, to Alton and Annie Boyles of Argyle. He was the first of five children and grew up in the same town where he was born. In 1949 James joined the U.S. Army and was eventually deployed during the Korean War, where he obtained his driver's license and became a radio repairman, learning the skills upon which he later built his own successful business, a dictating machine and time-clock repair service. After returning home from Korea in 1953, James married the girl who had been writing to him while he was overseas, a flaxen-haired beauty from Keller named Martha. The two moved into a modest house in the newly incorporated city of Blue Mound and quickly became close with their fellow residents in the budding community. The couple had three children, sons Kelley and James and daughter Linda, with several construction projects being undertaken on the house to accommodate their growing family. In 1972 James was one of the founding members of the Blue Mound chapter of the Lions Club and remained an active member of the club until the end of his life. He began serving Blue Mound in 1973 as a member of its City Council, a position he held until 1998. During this time, he was instrumental in the creation of the Blue Mound Volunteer Fire Department. The year following James' exit from the council, he became mayor, serving from 1999 to 2002. After leaving the life of public service, James remained close to the City Council, fire and police departments and others aspects of city governance. In more recent years he and his wife have split their time between the house in which they raised their children and the lake property they purchased on Possum Kingdom Lake to enjoy their golden years where Memaw and Pepaw, as they had been renamed by their grandchildren, enjoyed country life while fishing, growing vegetables, wildlife watching and peace and quiet. In the fall of 2013 the couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary surrounded by family and friends. James was a kind, caring and sarcastic individual with a great heart and a wicked sense of humor. He never met a stranger and was always willing to help a person in need. He, along with his razor wit and boundless knowledge, will be greatly missed. James was preceded in death by his mother, father, brother and two sisters as well as many pets. Survivors: His sister; wife; three children; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; countless friends and admirers; and many pets. We love you, Peeps.