Roll Call Tribute

James C. Trimble, Sr.

December 8, 1930 - February 20, 2023

James "Jim" C. Trimble, Sr. was born December 8, 1930 in Texarkana, TX, and passed away on February 20, 2023, in Dallas, TX surrounded by loving family. He graduated from Texarkana Senior High in 1948, attended Texarkana College until 1950, and graduated from Texas A&M in 1954 with two BS degrees in Petroleum Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, along with a commission in the U.S. Air Force. Jim was elected to Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, and served as President of the Texas A&M Baptist Student Union his Senior year.

Most importantly during his senior year Jim became engaged to the girl of his dreams, Lora Nelle Garretson, at the Texas A&M Senior Ring Dance. Jim and Lora met the previous summer, 1953 in Snyder, TX when as fate would have it Jim and his friend were hitchhiking through town on their way to their summer jobs at Roswell Air Force base. The young Aggies, in uniform, had stopped in Snyder to eat dinner at a soda fountain. A friend of Lora's asked the boys if they knew a friend of hers and of course Jim pretended to know the guy in order to talk to Lora. Jim and Lora talked until the early hours on Lora's mother's front porch. They were both leaving the next morning for 6 weeks, and committed to meet again 6 weeks later. They kept their promise to meet, and were married for 63 yrs. Until the end, Jim said Lora was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Upon graduation Jim accepted a position with Shell Oil Company for the summer while awaiting induction into the Air Force to fulfill his ROTC. His exciting Air Force assignment was to work on the leading technology in supersonic jets at the AMES Aeronautical Laboratory in California. After only one month, however, Jim learned that thanks to his job roughnecking that summer on a noisy oil rig, he failed his Air Force physical and was released from duty. This was a big disappointment for young Jim, but one that fortunately sent him into a long career in the oil business. Jim worked with Duke Rudman at The Rudman Partnership until retiring at the age of 83.

Jim and Lora were members of Saint Rita's Catholic Church, where Jim belonged to the RCIA and enjoyed attending Sunday school. He was also an active member of the Ken Cooper Aerobic Center since the '80s. Professionally he was a member of the Dallas Geological Society, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Petroleum Engineers Club of Dallas, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, SIPES, and the Dallas Petroleum Club. Jim published an article in the Petroleum Engineers national magazine, and was honored by having an oil field in Smith County, Mississippi named 'Trimble Field' after him.

Other charitable organizations he was involved in include Red Cloud Indian School, Boy Scouts of America, Cal Farley Boys Home, Salvation Army, and Former Students of Texas A&M.

Jim is survived by his two children, son James C. "Curt" Trimble Jr. and his wife Kimberly Trimble, and Jim's daughter Kristi Trimble Thompson and her husband William A. P. "Philip" Thompson III and their daughter Madelyn Thompson.

His smile, his kindness and generous spirit continue to lighten the lives of all who knew him. The family requests in lieu of flowers please do as Jim would have done - just do something nice for someone today!

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