James W. Birdwell
March 25, 1925 - November 14, 2011
James William (“J.W.” or “Jim” and “Jr.” to his crewmates) Birdwell, age 86, of Bastrop, Texas, passed away quietly on the 14th of November 2011 at South Austin Hospital in Austin, Texas. Born on the 25th of March 1925 in east Texas, his family moved to the Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco, Texas when he was two years old, where he spent his childhood. He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 61 years, Norma Faye Hilton Birdwell, his mother Willie Rebecca Fuller Birdwell and father Rush David (R.D.) Birdwell, both of Weslaco, Texas, and his twin brothers Leo and Theo Birdwell of southern California.
Upon graduation from high school in Weslaco in 1944, he joined the United States Air Force and served his country near the end of WWII. Upon his release from service, he attended the University of Texas for one year where he fell in love with Austin, then finished his degree in education from Bethany Nazarene College in Bethany Oklahoma where he fell in love with Norma. They were married in 1950, and resided in Houston, Texas where he taught high school math and special education, completed his Masters Degree in Special Education, and moved to Austin in 1968 where he again taught high school. He retired from teaching in 1974. After a few more years of teaching driver's education in Austin, Seoul, South Korea and Yucaipa, California, he finally fully retired in Bastrop, Texas.
Of his many accomplishments, he most loved to build. Any house he lived in soon experienced his love for building. He is survived by his daughters, Phyllis Birdwell and Faye Randal both of Bastrop Texas, and sons Wes and David, grandson Jason, and granddaughters Jessica, Theresa, and Ella, all of Austin, Texas, and his older brother R.D. Birdwell of southern California. Jim loved people, he loved to visit, read the Bible, play dominoes, fish and hunt, and he loved his Lord. He was an amazing husband, friend, and father. He was loved and will be missed, but his family knows he is with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his college sweetheart, Norma.
Visitation with the family was held at six o'clock in the evening until eight o'clock on Wednesday, the 16th of November 2011 at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard. Graveside Services were conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Thursday, 17th of November 2011 at Cook -Walden Memorial Hill in Pflugerville, officiated by Pastor Keith Atkinson, of Red River Church in Austin, Texas.