James Walter Hubbell

1945 - 2015

Born James Walter Hubbell in Ardmore, Oklahoma, on October 13, 1945 to Fay and Walter Lawrence Hubbell, he was the oldest of five boys. 'Jim' as he was known to all, grew up all over Southern Oklahoma and North Texas until graduating from Whitesboro High School in 1964. He worked in seismic oil exploration as a young man in south Louisiana, graduating as an engineer for Geophysical Services Incorporated's training program in 1968. In 1969, he made the move to Singapore in Southeast Asia and was based there while working throughout Indonesia and Borneo. Upon moving to Singapore, he met the love of his life, Tina. They married in March of 1971 after an 18-month courtship and began their family in 1972 with the birth of their only child, Tracy.

Jim was affectionately called a 'Jack of all trades' by his family. He could do anything if he set his mind to it. He loved music. His late great aunt, Doris, taught him the basics of piano at the age of three and he played by ear from then on, later teaching himself how to play the acoustic guitar and electric bass – all with upside down strings. He played the French horn, trumpet, and drums in high school band. Jim enjoyed playing acoustic folk songs at the British Folk Club during his downtime and early days in Singapore. He became a Ham Radio Operator in the late 1970s while in Asia and used that license as a SkyWarn watcher for West Grayson County for many years, parking himself out many a spring night atop US82 at the Grayson/Cooke County Line, waiting to report to Channels 10 and 12. He was also an avid, self-taught, artist. But his mischievous, though intelligent, sense of humor meant that most of his art work pertained to the way the world looked in his eyes as he worked in oil fields across the globe…full of off-beat humor, sarcasm, and plenty of 'Captain Obvious' moments - most of which only Doodlebuggers in the oil business would appreciate and understand. In 1985, Jim and his family made the final move from Singapore to Whitesboro. He worked another six months for GSI in China before transitioning to Texas Instruments in Sherman where he worked from July 1986 until his retirement in the Spring of 2004. He enjoyed these last years being creative behind the keyboard working on webpages for various small companies and close friends' businesses. He was an avid animal lover, computer geek, history buff, and novice 'political pundit'.

Jim was preceded in death by his brother, Michael Hubbell; his father, Walter Lawrence Hubbell; his mother, Faye Selfridge Hubbell, and his brother Tommy Hubbell. He is survived by his wife, Tina; daughter, Tracy, and her husband, Timothy; granddaughters, Lieve and Annie; brothers David and Phillip Hubbell of Addison, Texas and Omaha, Nebraska, respectively. Celebration of Life Services will be Monday, December 28, 2015, at 2 p.m. at Meador Funeral Home Chapel in Whitesboro, Texas with Rev. David Gordon officiating. Early viewing will be from 1 to 2 p.m.

To sign the online registry, please go to: http://www.meadorfuneralhomes.com.