Obituary for James Suggs

James Suggs

(December 2, 1921 – February 14, 2016)

James Ralph Suggs (Jim), a Tennessee native and longtime resident of Ponca City, died February 14, 2016 at Ponca City Nursing and Rehab. He was 94 years old.

Jim was born on December 2, 1921 in Collierville, Tennessee, one of six children of Albert Thomas and Ethel May Alexander Suggs. He grew up in the family home that was built by his grandfather, shortly after the Civil War. The home is gone now, but its land was donated to the city by the family, and in its place is Suggs Park. Jim graduated from Collierville High School in 1940. During World War II, he entered the Army in October, 1942, and was ultimately sent to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the Army Specialized Training Program at Oklahoma A&M. After completion of training, he was sent to join the war in Europe, assigned to the 317th Infantry Regiment of the 80th Infantry Division, where he was in communications. He was assigned to the Headquarters Company, encoding and decoding messages from the front line and running them back and forth. For this, he earned the Bronze Star. He returned home to Collierville after his honorable discharge on January 6, 1946.

While in Stillwater for his training, James joined the choir at the First Methodist Church, and it was there that he met and fell for Norma Erlyne Holmes, who was church organist. Following the war, the two began making their wedding plans and were married on June 16, 1946, in Stillwater. After their marriage, Jim and Norma stayed in Stillwater while Jim went to college at Oklahoma A&M. He graduated with a Bachelors in 1949 and a Masters in 1950, both in Industrial Science. Following his graduation, they briefly lived in Goodwell, OK, where Jim taught woodworking at Panhandle A&M. In 1952, they settled permanently in Ponca City, when Jim was hired to teach woodworking at East Junior High. He was there until his retirement in 1987.

After retirement, Jim took delight in gardening, singing in Sunday School at First United Methodist Church and making pecan pies. His greatest joy was sharing the latter with friends.

Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Norma and grandson Christopher Humphrey; his parents and all five of his siblings.

He is survived by his two children, Robert James Suggs and his wife Barbara Lee, of Annapolis, MD; Carole Bender and her husband Jack, of Tulsa, OK; and by grandchild Milana Zettel and her husband Kerry, of Seattle, WA. He is also survived by two beloved nieces, Mary Lee Hoge of Nashville, TN; and Linda Wible of Memphis, TN.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. 6th St., Ponca City, OK 74601.

Source: Trout Funeral Home