Roll Call Tribute

Memorial Funeral Chapel College Station obituary
2901 Texas Ave South, College Station, TX 77845 | 979-694-8615

James Adam Ramsey Lassiter
April 5, 1985 - May 6, 2012

James Adam Ramsey Lassiter, 27, a good and faithful Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was on active duty with the United States Air Force at Fairchild AFB, went missing on a canoe trip March 31, 2012 in the Spokane River. His body was recovered May 6, 2012. His memorial service will be held on Saturday May 19, 2012 at Grace Bible Church at 10:00 AM. The family will be available between 9 and 10 in the foyer.

James Adam was the fifth of eight children born April 5, 1985 to Gerald and Patricia Lassiter. He overcame many obstacles and challenges in life to be an honor graduate from Texas A&M University. He was in the Corp of Cadets Unit V-1, where he also served as the Scholastic Officer. While at A&M, Adam met his future wife Erin who was also studying Park and Recreation Sciences.

How can you sum up a persons life in a few sentences. He was not ashamed of his faith or much else. His story of strength of mind, and the courage to seek out and accomplish his dreams can be remembered through each of our own experiences in being with Adam. All who knew him, the values he stood for, the person he was, can honestly say, "I knew Adam Lassiter, and I am better for it." He was generous, loyal, a perfect example of a servant leader. Adam was a great protector of his sisters and often took them country dancing, at which he was very good. He loved the outdoors, music, cooking, serving others with his time and his attention, as well as spending time with family and friends. He had a very contagious laugh. He loved playing and holding his nieces and nephews and other babies. He did not mind whether people thought him different, he only cared about pleasing God.

We don't understand why he was taken from us so soon, but we know his life had a HUGE impact on many, and even through his death people are choosing to turn their lives around for the better.

Adam is survived by his wife, Erin Kinsey Adams Lassiter; his parents, Gerald and Patricia Lassiter of College Station; his brother, Mark T. Lassiter and fiancé Juliana Lindh of Dallas, his six sisters, Janet Breese and husband Ryan of Norfolk, VA; Karen Karner and husband Ben of Newport News, VA; Mary Miller and husband Mike of Frisco, CO; Michelle Lassiter of Waco; Emily Hattaway and husband Jordan of Waco; and Grace Lassiter of College Station; nephews: R.J. and Peter Breese, Kyle and Koen Karner, Michael Patrick Miller; and nieces: Elizabeth, Dayna and Maggie Breese; and Karis Karner.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made to the Texas A&M Foundation Memorial Scholarship Fund in the name of James Adam R. Lassiter. Checks should be made payable to the Texas A&M Foundation and mailed to 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840-2811. Please note on your check "in memory of (James A.R. Lassiter)".
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(Published in) The Bryan-College Station Eagle (on) May 20, 2012

Aggie remembered for beating odds
By VIMAL PATEL

The rigors of the Corps of Cadets led Texas A&M freshman Henre Honnas to call his mom and tell her he was immediately quitting. His mom called a family friend, James Adam Ramsey Lassiter, who was waiting for Honnas in the parking lot.

Lassiter, a Corps alumni, took the rest of the day off when he got the call and spent a few hours driving Honnas around College Station’s back roads talking about life, his future, and urging him to reconsider his decision to quit the Corps.

Three years later, on Saturday, standing near Lassiter’s flag-draped coffin at Grace Bible Church in College Station, Honnas was wearing a Corps uniform and credited Lassiter, whom he didn’t know all that well, with keeping his life on track.

“He’s the only reason I stayed in the Corps,” said Honnas, now commander of first platoon in Company C-2. “Adam was the kind of man who would drop anything for someone who needed him.”

Lassiter was found by fishermen in a lake May 6 nearby where he had gone missing during a solo canoe trip in the fast-moving Spokane River on March 31. He was 27.

Friends and family Saturday recalled a life of beating the odds. When he was 9, he couldn’t read the alphabet or walk straight and doctors told his parents he would never be able to read or support himself, his mother, Patricia Lassiter, said in an interview.

But the College Station native, who suffered from a rare chromosomal disorder called Klinefelter’s syndrome, overcame his disability to graduate with honors from Texas A&M in 2008 with a degree in parks and recreation and eventually join the Air Force.

Lassiter was remembered as a protector of his siblings — sometimes a bit overprotective, like the time he followed one of his younger sisters to her prom — who would drive his sisters around while blaring classical music and belt an impressive karaoke rendition of I Will Survive.

“He didn’t care what people thought of him,” said his sister, Grace Lassiter of College Station, through a family friend at Lassiter’s funeral.

Following graduation, he worked in College Station’s parks and recreation department before joining the Air Force. He was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington state.

Born on April 5, 1985, to Gerald and Patricia Lassiter of College Station, Lassiter was the fifth of eight children.

In addition to his parents and siblings, he is survived by his wife, Erin Kinsey Adams, and many other family members.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the Texas A&M Foundation Memorial Scholarship Fund, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, 77840, and to note on the check in memory of “James AR Lassiter.”