James Ralph "Jim" Kirkham Sr.

On the evening of February 22, 2026, James Ralph Kirkham, Sr. passed from his earthly life into his heavenly home with Jesus Christ, his savior.

Jim, as he was known to all, was born in Nevada City, CA on February 25, 1940, the third of three children of Anita Marie (Wolder) and Ralph Thomas Kirkham. His siblings, Sally and Mary, both preceded him in death.

A graduate of Grass Valley High School near Sacramento, Jim studied at Sierra Junior College in Auburn, CA after high school, and met his lifelong love, OraLee Kimbrough, there. He was a dashing, tall football player and she was a smart cheerleader who liked big-shouldered athletes with a unique sense of humor; she tutored him during college as he played defensive end for Sierra, which played in a junior college bowl game one season. On June 24, 1961, they were married in a ceremony held with family and friends in the back garden of her parent's house.

Jim continued his education and played one year of football at Sacramento State College after junior college. Meanwhile, OraLee commuted to San Francisco as an auditor for the IRS while Jim continued school. He finished his college career at Fresno State University, graduating with a degree in Education, and became a teacher and coach in East Nicholas, CA. He taught industrial arts for many years as well as physical education and art while coaching three sports.

At that point, Jim and OraLee were raising two children, James, Jr., born in 1964 and Mary, born in 1966. It was around this time that Jim and OraLee began to attend Bible studies they had been invited to and realized something in their life was missing, a relationship with Jesus Christ. They gave their lives to follow him at that time and life changed dramatically over the next few years.

In 1975 the family moved to Penang, Malaysia where Jim and OraLee both taught at Dalat School, a Christian Missionary Alliance missionary kids school. Jim and OraLee became not only teachers to the children at the school, they also became mentors, loving and counseling them as any parent would, comforting them, laughing with them, and in some cases disciplining them.

In the eight-year period (1975-1984) they spent in Penang, they forged relationships with the Dalat kids that lasted even as the children became adults. After both of their kids graduated from high school, Jim and OraLee left Penang in 1984, moving back to California so they could be close to their son and daughter during college and young adulthood.

Jim left his teaching career and started his own home maintenance business and OraLee resumed her accounting work, mostly living near OraLee's parents, Carrie and Lou, in California, where the children could bond with their grandparents after such a long absence abroad.

James Jr. and his wife Brenda, along with daughter Cherish, had settled near Houston and added JB and Mary Lee to the brood. Jim and OraLee decided to move to Texas to be near to them after their own parents had passed away. They settled near Houston in Missouri City and began attending Sugar Creek Baptist Church, their home congregation for many years. Always active in ministry, they would worship, learn, teach and serve while growing in the Lord.

While in Missouri City, they celebrated their 50 th anniversary, no ordinary celebration, as they were able to combine that event with a Dalat Missionary School reunion in Orlando, FL. They were able to visit with many of the 'missionary kids' they once taught and have family with as well. It was a very special time for them.

Eventually, James Jr. and Brenda bought property in East Texas, where multiple families would eventually live on a 26-acre property in Jacksonville, TX. Along with Jim and OraLee were Jimmy and Brenda and daughter Cherish, her husband Chris Hultberg, and their three children. On that property, Meemaw and Peepaw were able to pour into the lives of those children while worshiping at Central Baptist Church in that city.

Jim lost his beloved 'Orie' on September 1, 2020 with her entire family at bedside. She had survived several health setbacks and Jim had cared for her during each of them. He also cared for a German Shepherd dog named Mavey and took care of a number of projects on the property, including letting out and feeding a slew of chickens that would follow him daily. As he became less stable on his feet, he tooled around in a used UTV. It was his last 'toy' he used to help around the property before his passing.

He developed heart problems in January 2026 and they became more serious over the past two months; after a short stay on hospice care, he died in his home.

Jim is survived by his son James Jr. (Brenda) Kirkham, and daughter Mary (Craig) Pinley and daughter Ellie. Jimmy and Brenda's family includes daughter Cherish (Chris) Hultberg and their children Isaac, Emily and Olivia; son James Benjamin (Hayley) and their children Zorion, Voltaire, and Tilian; and daughter Mary Lee (Zach) Green and children Landon and Gideon.

The Celebration of Life Service for James will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 11:00 am, at Pierce's Chapel, in Jacksonville, TX. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Hospice Plus, 100 Willow Creek Parkway, Palestine, TX 75801 (or your local Hospice) or Pierce's Chapel, 7210 FM 747, Jacksonville, TX 75766.