Betty Jean "Meme" (Mack) James

SANTA FE – Betty Jean “Meme” James passed away peacefully and is now in the arms of Jesus.

Betty Jean was a gift from God to William A. and Betty Inez Mack on March 15, 1931, in Beaumont, Texas. She was the youngest of six children. She attended South Park High School and was a member of the South Park Greenie Cadets.

Dub, her oldest brother, was in the Navy during WWII and brought his friend, Bill James home. Though still quite young, she was enamored with the handsome sailor, and they began to exchange letters. After the war ended, and God kept the boys safe through Pearl Harbor, Dub brought Bill home with him again to live in Beaumont. Bill was raised in the Masonic Orphanage in North Carolina, so they opened their home to him.

Bill and Betty Jean soon fell in love and were married and lived in Galveston. They later moved their family to Hitchcock. They became members of First Baptist Church in Hitchcock where Betty Jean taught a young adult Sunday School class, participated in many Bible Studies along with completing a Master Life Bible Course and enjoyed teaching Vacation Bible School for years.

The family planned vacation trips during the summer, going on road trips from the West coast to East coast, where they were able to meet Bill’s brothers and sisters whom he didn’t know. She loved to pick up Mamaw and travel to Beaumont and Louisiana to visit her cousins and family. They also spent many summers at Huntsville State Park camping with family.

She would often go to the mall and talk to workers in the shops and share the gospel. Other adventures took her on mission trips to Mexico with her church, Hong Kong with missionary friends and Algeria to visit Bettie Ann and family. She and grandson Ricky flew to Hawaii to visit Darlene at Hawaii Preparatory Academy.

When the older kids were in High School and Lori in 1st grade, Betty Jean decided to go to work. A family friend, Dr. Warren G. Harding, encouraged her to go to UTMB. She worked at UTMB Health Service for Dr. Kelly George for several years. When Dr. George opened his private practice, Betty and Jackie worked in his office. Closer to home she worked for Dr. Moore’s dentist office in Hitchcock. Bill and Betty Jean became Meme and Pawpaw after 1st grandchild, Darlene was born.

Upon Bills retirement, they bought “the little brown house” in Plum Ridge at Sam Rayburn. Her greatest joys were having her children and grandkids come to stay with them enjoying all the water sports, fishing and having lots of fun!

During tax season she worked as a receptionist in Bettie Ann and Jackie’s office, Ameritax. Meme was a great listener and every year clients would bring in their paperwork, chat (sometimes for an hour, and eventually she would pray with them. They would enjoy seeing her each year.

She loved water skiing, snow skiing, cruising and her last hurrah was parasailing at age 91. She always said she wanted to go see Jesus, so we told her to cut the strings when she got in the air!

Even in the latest hospital stays, she found every opportunity to speak of Jesus, quoting her favorite scripture. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13. He did!

We want to thank friends and family who spent time with her and brought her beautiful flowers and her favorite chocolate. Thank you to Caroline at Heritage Crossing for caring for Meme and taking her places.

And this past year, thank you to Dexter Guice and all the caregivers at Victorious Assisted Living in Santa Fe and Village Hospice. Everyone showed kindness and loving care to our mother, and we will be forever grateful.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Betty (Tate) Mack; husband, William Henry James; sisters, Earline Parish, Margie Ray; brothers, Dub Mack, Alvin Mack, Bruce Mack.

Survivors include her son, Robert “Skeeter” James and wife, Sherry of Kemah; daughters, Bettie Cheek and husband, Robert of Santa Fe, Jackie Adams of League City, Lori Parker and husband, Tim of Lexington, Tennessee; 9 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren.

Visitation with family and friends will be from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m., Friday, August 22, 2025, at Arcadia First Baptist Church, 14828 Highway 6, Santa Fe, Texas, with Pastor Joshua McDonald and Pastor Stephen Wilhite officiating. Interment will follow at Galveston Memorial Park Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Rick Adams, Mitch Blackwell, Micah Eanes, Jack Jackson, Robert “Little Skeeter” James, Davis Lee, James Lee, Michael Lee and Thomas Peeler. Honorary pallbearers will be Ford Blackwell, Grayson Blackwell, Case Lee and Hudson Lee.

Memorials in the form of donations may be made in Betty’s name to Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child, www.samaritanspurse.org/donate. Meme loved that they give shoeboxes full of toys and tell people about Jesus all over the world. Or the building fund at Arcadia Baptist Church, www.Arcadiafbc.org/give.

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