James R. Ashcraft

JAMES RICHARD ASHCRAFT passed away peacefully May 13, 2019 after a lengthy
illness.
MEMORIAL SERVICE: Webb Baptist Church in south Arlington at 2:00 pm on May 25,
2019, with family visitation afterwards in the fellowship hall.
James was born in Arlington, Texas in 1936 and lived most of his life in the Arlington
area. He was drafted into the Army. After boot camp and advanced training, he
served in Frieberg, Germany. During his stay in Germany the Berlin wall was built.
James worked in the printing trade, beginning in the composing room of printing
companies and ending in the Dallas Morning News building classified ads on the
new invention, computers.
He and his wife, Sue, celebrated 62 years of marriage in February. They shared a
desire to see the country and in retirement, purchased a travel trailer. In that trailer
they traveled across the USA visiting national parks, historical sites, beautiful
mountains, rocky coastlines; viewing wildlife in its natural habitat.
But he was happiest spending time fishing on Lake O Pines in east Texas or during
his family’s yearly June camping trip. That trip involved fishing with his sons-in-law,
teaching the grandkids to fish, sitting around the campfire hearing about the events
of his daughters’ lives, and catching up with the fishing friends he made along the
way.
PRECEDED IN DEATH by his infant son, James Ashcraft, Jr., parents Herman Ashcraft
and Myra (Polly) Ballweg, and brother, Bill Ashcraft.
SURVIVORS: wife, Sue; daughters and sons-in-law, Sandra and Steve Golightly;
Ginnie and David Covey; Laura and Scott Black; grand children, Samantha and
husband Josh Wyman, Garrett Golightly, and Jessi Black; sister and brother-in-law,
Betty and Rayburn Blair; brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Gerry Ashcraft; cousins
and many nieces and nephews.