Edward Thomas James, Jackson, MS

“When I get to heaven I’m gonna shake God’s hand Thank Him for more blessings than one man can stand Then, I’m gonna get a guitar And start a rock-n- roll band Check into a swell hotel Ain’t the afterlife grand.” (John Prine) Heaven got a little louder the morning of January 26th as Tommy James began greeting his family, friends and others who had gone before him and whose lives had been touched by his exuberance and its ripple effect. Music was a big part of his life and he often quoted lyrics in conversations. “Your mind is on vacation, but your mouth is working overtime.” (Mose Allison) “I wish I could have been there for that.” (John Anderson) “Though I let her down, she still comes around.” (Mickey Newbury) “…but I think my angels are workin’ overtime. “ (Lainey Wilson) “So, now if anyone asks, not that they would, We’ll be down in Mississippi and up to no good.” (Sugarland) Common one-liners that were often repeated and endeared Tommy to many were: How ‘bout it babe? Where did you go to high school? Heavy duty… Great hair! Good friends are just like fine wine. They get better with age. $100 hamburger Y’all underestimate me. I’m from Ole Miss. A heartache today and a headache tonight. Tommy was born in Natchez Mississippi. He was president of his senior class in high school, class favorite, extrovert extraordinaire, all SEC in football, orthopedic surgeon, golfer, woodturner, car mechanic, house remodeler, hunter, traveler, foodie, musician, social planner, story teller, landscape architect, welder, chef, Sunday school teacher who quoted the lyrics from country music, comedian, a man of great faith, kind but above all else his biggest source of joy was being Booda. Tommy especially loved the South, Ole Miss football, Antebellum homes, a good conversation celebrated with food, friends and family, The Chaine des Rotisseurs, coaching baseball, and bargains. He was preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Mildred James, his sister, Mildred Ann Calvert, and his mother and father in-law, June and Marshal Pearce. He is survived by his wife, Marsha, his two children, Kristi Winford (John), Greg James (Fiona), his grandchildren, Pearce Winford, Aiyana James, and Sterling James. He is also survived by his niece, Stephanie Krpec (Brian), his brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Debbie Pearce, and his niece and nephew, Kim Norvell (Charles), and Brad Pearce (Frances). Tommy was magnetically drawn to people, not to talk about his life, but because he was curious about the details of their lives, and he never forgot their history or their names. For Tommy, working a room in any social setting was a work of art. He was one-of-a-kind and had a big heart for all of us. When people describe friends, many talk about Tommy. Tommy followed his heart into the world, feeling his way forward. Therefore, he was never lost, in good times and bad. He was simultaneously sweet but uninhibited. We were all attracted to this innocence and authenticity. The morning he died, Tommy stopped breathing but his heart kept beating for another six plus minutes. As his body embraced death, he let his heart lead the way one last time. “Lord knows it’s taken a hell of a beating A little bit of love is all that it’s needing But it’s good as it is tough I got a heart like a truck.” (Lainey Wilson) I’m done with dialysis. (Sterling James)