James Robert Emerick, Jim, passed peacefully and went home to be with the Lord on June 19, 2024, at the age of 88.  Jim was born April 10, 1936, in Stillwater, Oklahoma to Marguerite Jones and James Lafayette Emerick.  James was raised by his grandparents, who he loved dearly, on a dairy farm. After graduating from Stillwater High School, Jim served in the United States Navy from 1954 to 1956 during the Korean War.  Following his military service, Jim attended college at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, spending his summers working as a roughneck in areas around Houston.  In 1959 after his usual summer work was short lived, Jim found a "temporary" job as a bookkeeper for a small firm in downtown Houston. He decided to keep his temporary summer job and finish college at the University of Houston where he graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting.

Shortly after college, he met his future wife Virginia, and they married on August 20, 1964. The newlyweds began their international adventures living in Nigeria and Iran where Jim worked as a controller. Jim worked for Dresser Industries where he had a long, successful career. During his long tenure with the company, he held many leadership positions in finance & accounting rising to the position of President of the International Division.

Jim and Virginia eventually settled on the north side of Houston where they raised two children, Michelle and Shawn. Jim always enjoyed simple things such as weekends at the lake, spending time with his family, visiting lifelong friends in Oklahoma, and all things chocolate. He will be fondly remembered by those that loved him and those that called him friend for his strong work ethic and unique sense of humor.

Jim is survived by his wife of 59 years, Virginia, his children Shawn and Michelle, daughter-in-law, Shay, son-in-law, Michael, his grandchildren, Avery, Reagan, Levi, and Savannah, and his sister, Rachel. He is preceded in death by his mother, Marguerite, stepfather, Alford, father, James, stepmother Celestine, and his sister Sherry.

A graveside service of remembrance will be held at the Houston National Cemetery with military honors being provided by the United States Navy on July 5, 2024, at 10:45 AM. For those wishing to attend the graveside service please arrive at the cemetery and proceed to lane #2 no later than 10:30 AM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Wreaths Across America.