Roll Call Tribute

James Roy "Jim" Chaka 

September 19, 1941 - April 23, 2026 

James Roy Chaka was born on September 8th, 1941 at his aunt’s house in El Campo, Texas to Edmund Martin Chaka and Zora Doris (Klatt) Chaka. After his dad returned from Europe at the end of WWII, the family moved to Newgulf, TX. Jim always said that living in Newgulf was the best place to grow up as a kid. He was active at his church as an altar boy and in the Boy Scouts achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. After graduating from Boling High School, Jim attended Wharton County Junior College and earned an Associate’s degree. He then went to the University of Texas for two years before transferring to Sam Houston State and earning a Bachelor of Science in Education degree. He moved to Sheridan, TX where he taught middle and high school math and science. While at Sam Houston he also discovered computers and learned that IBM was hiring out of Texas A&M University. So, after one year in Sheridan, he applied and was accepted into the Master’s program at A&M and earned a Master’s in Computing Science degree in 1969. He was hired two weeks later by IBM.

He worked for IBM for 25 years, always in the Houston area. While working at IBM, the company offered his services to the US Olympic Committee who were holding the US Olympic Festival in Houston in 1986. This is how he, and his future wife Rilla, met. His skill set placed him in the transportation group where he wrote schedules to help Rilla transport 4000 athletes and 2000 support personnel to various venues around Houston over a two-week period. He married Rilla Ryan on May 2, 1987. They were married for 38 years, 356 days and have two children, David and Kristina.

Family was always very important to Jim and he loved having them come to his house for pool parties to celebrate various holidays, like Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day. The extended family also got together for Easter at Uncle Jerry and Aunt Evelyn’s house in Texas City, Thanksgiving at Aunt Iddie and Uncle Bob’s house in El Campo and Christmas at Mom & Dad’s house in Newgulf and, later in Wharton.

After Jim retired from IBM, when the kids were 4 and 2, the family moved to Round Rock, TX. Another great place to bring up a family! Jim taught high school math for a while and then was hired by Motorola. After 5 years there he finally retired for good.

Four years after the family moved to Round Rock, the Diocese of Austin created a new parish in Round Rock, called St. John Vianney. Rilla and Jim were founding parishioners of the parish and were actively involved in many aspects of Church life. Jim joined the Knights of Columbus and became Financial Secretary for a number of years. His Catholic faith was important to Jim and he had found a parish where he could grow in his faith and make contributions that made a difference in the world.

Jim loved watching his children go through school, learning things and achieving milestones. He shared with David an interest in technology which led to fascinating discussions. When Kristina joined the Girl Scouts, Jim served for several years as the Service Unit Cookie Coordinator and loved creating spread sheets to keep track of who had how many boxes and the like. He even color-coded them to match the cookies, which attracted a young Kristina to learn to make her own cookie spreadsheets, an early foray into computers for her. They also built Pinewood Derby cars together.

Living 3 hours from family didn’t stop Jim and Rilla from taking the kids to all the holiday gatherings and reunions (Chaka family, Klatt family, Boling High School Class of 1960, Sulphacrat etc.) and, of course, to weddings, funerals, graduations, showers, and any other event involving family.

When the kids got older, the family traveled a lot and went to many states including Hawaii and to England and France to visit family. They also took several cruises.

In his later years, Jim played Mah Jong with the family and Spades at the Baca Senior Center in Round Rock and even took up yoga at the YMCA! As his eyesight began to decline, he jumped headfirst into audiobooks. Never much of a fiction reader before, with audiobooks he moved from his usual biographies and histories to historical fiction and sci-fi. He spent his last months in his favorite chair, listening to music and books often with his kids or wife by his side.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Edmund and Zora Chaka, brother Ron Chaka, his Aunt Iddie and her husband Bob Hansen and his Uncle Jerry Chaka and his wife Evelyn. He is survived by his beloved wife, Rilla, son David, daughter Kristina Chaka MacKenzie and her husband Calum, brothers Sid (Cynthia) and Thomas Chaka (Michele Ozuna), sister-in-law Kathy Chaka, first cousins Yvonne McCreery and Leslie Schroder (Jay), brothers-in-law Kevin Ryan, Gene Ryan, sisters-in-law Ruth Wolfender (Marc) and Valerie Ryan and numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews.

Services were held on April 28th at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Round Rock TX. Pall Bearers were Travis Chaka, Brady McGhee, Thomas Lucas, Marc Schroder, Reid Schroder and Michael Wolfender.

Honorary pall bearers were Sid Chaka, Thomas Chaka, Jason Chaka, Kevin Chaka, Matthew Casey, Aaron Velez, Daniel Thompson, Kevin Ryan, Gene Ryan, Marc Wolfender, Benjamin Wolfender, Cedric Wolfender, Michael Lucas.