John Thomas "Tom" James Jr.

Funeral services for John Thomas "Tom" James, Jr., age 55, will be 10:00A.M. Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Ruston, LA. Officiating the service will be Father Frank Hughes. Interment will follow at Kilpatrick Memorial Gardens under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Homes of Ruston, Louisiana. A visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. Tuesday, December 2, 2025, in the church sanctuary for family and friends.
Tom was born on June 21, 1970, in New Orleans, LA and passed into God's eternal kingdom on November 21, 2025, in Houston, Texas following a courageous battle with cancer.
Tom was a lifelong member of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer where he served as President of Men of the Church for six years. He attended and graduated in 1989 from Cedar Creek School. He cherished his years at Cedar Creek and loved playing football for the Cougars, often sharing fond memories of his time on and off the field with friends and teammates.
Tom graduated from Louisiana Tech University earning his Baccalaureate of Science in Marketing and was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity where he served as Treasurer. The friendships made during that time would remain for the rest of his life.
Tom began his career as an Oil and Gas Landman for Clark Ryder and Associates in Lafayette, LA in 1996. In 2001, he moved back to Ruston, continuing his career working for his friends, Peter Richardson then Steve Smith of Hunter Entergy, where he would work for the remainder of his life.
Tom was a board member for Med Camps of Louisiana, serving as Board Chairman in his final year of service. Med Camps was one of his son, John's, most loved places and always close to Tom's heart.
Tom married the love of his life, Jenny Adkins, on March 30, 2002. They were married for 23 years, sharing one son, John Thomas (John) James, III and many wonderful memories together. Tom loved traveling with his family, especially taking his son John to Disney World and the beach. So many wonderful memories were made on those trips and will remain with his family forever.
Tom was an avid fisherman, sharing the love of speckled trout and white perch fishing with his father, John Tom. He loved heading down to Creole, filling his ice chest full of speckled trout and enjoying a good meal afterwards with great friends, his dad, and family friend, Hank Evans among many others. To find peace in these hard times, one can just picture John Tom greeting Tom, excited to finally share, the ultimate fishing spot in Heaven.
Tom is preceded in death by his parents, John Tom and Beverlee Biscomb James; paternal grandparents, Floyd and Katherine "Kat" James; and maternal grandparents, George and Joyce Biscomb.
Tom is survived by his wife, Jenny Adkins James; son, John Thomas James, III; brother, Matt James (Jill) and children Henry and Annie; aunt, Margaret Ann James and family; aunt, Kiki Biscomb Wardlaw (Chastain) and family; sister-in-law, Leanna Adkins Buckley (James) and niece Hannah; and other family members and numerous friends.
Pallbearers will be Henry James, Chris Hamm, Heath Hightower, Dave Downs, Hunter Smith, and Ty Bromell.
Honorary pallbearers are Chastain Wardlaw, Benjamin James, III, Steve Burkhalter, and Steve Smith.
We would like to give a special thank you to family and friends who supported us through Tom's cancer battle. We are humbled by your generosity and grateful for your friendship. An additional thank you to Dr. David Osafo as well as, Tom's care team at MD Anderson Medical Center.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Med Camps of Louisiana, 102 Thomas Road Suite 615, West Monroe, LA 71291.
Online condolences may be extended to the family at www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com.