Obituary of James H. Browning

James H. Browning, 78, passed away on September 30, 2007. He is survived by his devoted wife of 59 years Jane, his daughters Jamie Franchois and husband Mark, Kathy Jamison, Lynn Fife and husband Randy, his grandchildren Heather, Bryan, Greg, Brett, and Daniel, and great-grandchild Hailey. Also, he is survived by his sister, Mary Randles of Chattanooga, Tennessee and his aunt, Frances Gardenhire of Lookout Mountain, Georgia. James was born in Tutwiler, Mississippi, and later moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee. He attended City High School where he met and married his high school sweetheart, Jane Cunningham. James attended Vanderbilt University on a full scholarship, was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, and graduated Cum Laude in 1951 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. In 1956, he began working for Ethyl Corporation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and then Houston, Texas, where he retired in1983. After that, he and Jane became chicken farmers and antique dealers. They lived in Gonzales, Texas and Galveston, Texas. After a few years, Ethyl Corporation called on him to work in northern Russia to start a chemical plant and he retired from Ethyl a second time in 1991. James and Jane returned to Galveston and their antique business, J&J’s Antiques. They later moved to Friendswood, Texas and then Pearland, Texas. He and Jane loved to travel and traveled extensively around the world. They raised Plumerias (Hawaiian flowers) and were members of the Plumeria Society of Houston. The family would like to thank La Tonya, Erma, Mary and Toni for their loving care of James. A memorial service commemorating James’s life will be held at 2:00 PM Sunday, October 7, 2007, in the Chapel of Clayton Funeral Home, 5530 W. Broadway in Pearland with Regency Hospice Chaplain Barbara West officiating.