James McKinley Eckhart

James McKinley Eckhart James McKinley (Jim) Eckhart a resident of The Woodlands, passed away on the 25th of November at St Luke's Episcopal Hospital surrounded by loving family and friends. A long-time business and community leader in Northwest Houston and The Woodlands, Jim was born in Swartz, Louisiana on January 21, 1931. His family moved to Amarillo, Texas in 1936 and he attended the Amarillo public schools, graduating from Amarillo High School in 1948. In 1950, Jim enlisted in the U. S. Air Force where he trained as a pilot and attained the rank of First Lieutenant. Stationed in Japan, Jim flew numerous cargo missions during the Korean War piloting the B25-Mitchell bomber and the C54 Cargo aircraft. He received his honorable discharge in 1955 and immediately entered The University of Texas where he graduated with a BSME in 1958. Upon graduation, Jim joined Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas launching a lifetime career in the high technology industry. Jim's career at TI spanned nearly twenty-five years where he served in numerous, key management positions primarily in the emerging data terminal and computer products operations of the company including the development of TI's first portable terminal. Recognized as a superb motivator of people at all levels of the organization, Jim forged life-long relationships with many members of his teams, all of whom benefited from his loyalty to and concern for their development and personal welfare. In 1983, Jim joined Compaq Computer Corporation in Houston as Senior Vice-President of Operations responsible for world-wide manufacturing, facilities and quality control. Managing thousands of people, Jim was a key contributor to Compaq's transformation from a small start-up company to one of the giants of the computer industry. As a senior member of the Compaq management team, Jim was an invaluable mentor and guide for his colleagues at Compaq and finished his high-tech career amid one of the great business stories in Houston's history retiring in 1991. After retirement, Jim applied his considerable leadership talents to numerous community endeavors in Northwest Houston and The Woodlands. He served on the boards of the Greater Houston YMCA, the Northwest Houston Heart Association, The John Cooper School, and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. He also served on the Finance Committee of the Woodlands United Methodist Church and as a volunteer for CASA. Jim loved his volunteer work and left a remarkable legacy of service and accomplishment to a grateful community. He also loved life. He was a licensed pilot and an avid sportsman, golfer, skier, hunter, fly-fisherman. He belonged to numerous dinner, wine and book review clubs and could always be found in the middle of key political and economic debates in the community. He loved his family and friends and was deeply proud of the accomplishments of his four children. He was devoted to his loving wife, Rae. He was an unswerving and loyal friend and generous with his time and resources to anyone in need. He was the quintessential Texan: fiercely independent, passionate in his devotion to his family, friends, career and community, and possessed of a straight-forward and relentless integrity. He will be missed deeply by all who knew him. Jim was preceded in death by his parents Eldon McKinley Eckhart and Ora Bell Gray and his sister Jane (Biddy) Morris of Amarillo. His is survived by his loving wife, Rae Eckhart; and his four beloved children, Jim Eckhart and his wife Debbie, Brian Eckhart and his wife Karen, Suzanne Hunt and her husband Tom and Bill Eckhart; his grandchildren, Dusty Hunt, Derrick Hunt, David Hunt, Erin Wagstaff and her husband Jeremiah, Sam Eckhart, Grant Eckhart; and numerous in-laws, nephews, nieces and close friends.. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, November 30, 2007 at The Woodlands United Methodist Church on the corner of Grogan Mills Road and Lake Woodlands Drive in The Woodlands, Texas. All are cordially invited to a visitation at Klein Funeral Home, 16131 Champion Forest Drive, Spring, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday evening November 29, 2007. In tribute to Jim's courageous battle with heart disease and to the many who so valiantly fought for him, the family has requested that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be directed to the Northwest Houston Heart Association or St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital Transplant Fund or to a charity of your choice.