Obituary of James Dacus

James Dacus passed away in La Porte, Texas, on Friday, September 20^th, 2024, at the age of 80. He is preceded in death by his father, Paul Dacus and stepmother, Joyce; mother, Hasseltine (Tena) Cooling and stepfather, Al; and brother, Tom Dacus. Left to cherish James’ memory are his wife, Alice Marion Dacus; daughters, Monica Ball-Elkins and husband David, Angie Ellis and husband Craig; brother, Gary Cooling and wife Nelda; sisters, Paula Cochran and husband Elvin, Kim Williams and husband Jeff; sister-in-law, Sue Dacus; grandchildren, Cordell, Chevy, Ashlin and husband Leo; and many nieces, nephews, and other family and friends.

James was drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam War, proudly serving his country from 1965 to 1967. He was deployed overseas in Thailand as an engineer and rock crusher, where his unit oversaw road construction for military transportation. James achieved the rank of Specialist 5 (SGT) during his service. After returning home from the war, James married his best friend and love of his life, Alice Marion, on July 29, 1967. They were happily married for 57 wonderful years.

 James worked as a Design Supervisor for the construction of offshore drilling rig living quarters for 20 years. When the interior designers did not choose a color, he would always tell them “My favorite color is pink.” He even had a pink coffee cup on his desk. James loved racing. He won two Pro Stock trophies at the Dayton, Texas, raceway. James attended many NHRA Spring Nationals races in Baytown, Texas, and NASCAR races at Texas Motor Speedway as well. He enjoyed being a fan of the Houston Astros and Texans sports teams, a good ribeye steak, playing pool, and of course his favorite Muppet, Miss Piggy.

James was a good, caring, man of few words, but everyone knew how he felt. He was a strong, dependable, and loyal husband and father. James loved the Lord and his family with all his heart and was a true friend to many. He will truly be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Funeral services for James will be held at Clayton Funeral Home of La Porte, Texas. (201 S. 3^rd St, La Porte, Texas 77571) Visitation will be held on the evening of Tuesday, October 1^st, 2024, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The Service will be held the following day, Wednesday, October 2^nd, 2024, at 1:00 pm. Interment will follow the service at Grandview Memorial Park in Pasadena, Texas.