Jerry Leon James was born November 13, 1936 to Arthur L. and Lillie (Gibble) James in Morrison, Oklahoma. Jerry graduated class of 1953 from Pawnee, Oklahoma and went on to attend Oklahoma State University. While at OSU, he met Shirley A. Taylor and they were married September 22, 1957. While on their way home from their honeymoon, there were involved in a head-on collision and spent their first few days of marriage in the hospital. After their short hospital stay, they moved into the back of Jerry’s first entrepreneurial enterprise, Jerry’s Studio. Not long after the studio was making progress, Jerry and Shirley added the Hallmark Gift Store. A few years later Jerry ventured beyond Pawnee and opened a second photography studio in Ponca City. The Photography business grew as Jerry began to take school pictures all across the state of Oklahoma. Through the early 1970’s they were taking pictures of thousands of students in over 180 schools. Jerry was elected president of the Professional Photographers of Oklahoma, Southwest Photographers Association, and won the very prestigious National Award from the Professional Photographers of America. In the mid 1960’s, Jerry designed and built the first mobile studio in a 35’ mobile home that he pulled behind a semi-tractor. After the wind blew the trailer off the road, Jerry worked with a motorhome manufacturer to build his second of 3 mobile studios. That began a spark in Jerry’s heart that became his next adventure, Jerry’s Trav-L-Sales a recreational vehicle business. That definitely became the love of his professional life. In 1976, Jerry opened the second branch of the RV business in Tulsa, Jerry’s Campers World. Very soon after opening the Tulsa branch, he was elected as president of the Green Country Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association. Jerry loved to serve people and that made nearly every business he owned a success. In the midst of the photography and recreational vehicle business Jerry also opened Jerry’s Steel and Foam Docks which built boat docks on Keystone lake. In all his business ventures, he and wife, Shirley served side by side. After selling the RV business in 1985, Jerry served as the Administrator at the Pawnee Hospital and then worked for McClain’s RV Center in Oklahoma City. In 1996, Jerry ventured out once again and opened a SEARS Dealer Store in Stillwater. As that store grew, and consistently remained the top store in the 3 state district, Jerry was winding down his years of owning and operating his companies. In 2012 the SEARS store sold and Jerry finally retired to take care of his lawn, flowerbeds, and tinker in his garage. Jerry and Shirley had two sons, Rodney and Bryan, and they both enjoyed many years working side by side with their dad. Jerry was always active in his local church, First Baptist, Pawnee and then Stillwater Bible Church. He truly lived out his faith by the way he conducted his business, the way he treated people, and the way he raised his sons. In 2012 Jerry was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. All through the treatments, the illness, and even during the final days, Jerry never complained and always expressed his appreciation to those caring for him. Nearly every day, even through his illness, he communicated how grateful he was to the Lord for all the blessings throughout his life. Jerry went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, February 28, 2015. Jerry is survived by Wife, Shirley; son, Rodney and his wife Dana; son, Bryan and his wife Rachael, and two granddaughters Kelsey James and Lauren Daisy James. There will be a celebration of his life at 1:30 P.M. Thursday, March 5, 2015 at the First Baptist Church, Pawnee, Oklahoma. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to Stillwater Bible Church Building Fund or Judith Karman Bristol Hospice, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Services under the direction of Poteet Funeral Home and Cremation Services
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