Darrell Russell James

Colonel Darrell Russell James (USAF Ret.) passed from this life and met his Lord and Savior on Friday, April 19, 2024.  He passed peacefully at Crestview Rehabilitation Center following a short battle with complications of a stroke.  He is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Karen Addis James; his daughter, Jennifer James (Chris Campbell) of Albuquerque, NM; sons Jeremy James (Joanna) of Austin, TX, and Robert Kimbrell (Lara) of Pensacola, FL, grandchildren Lukas and Alexander James and Robby and Grace Kimbrell, and dear cousin, Tabitha Morgan of Lake Worth City, FL.  

Darrell was born in South Bend, IN on April 9, 1939 to Wilburt “Jimmy” and Esther Hertel James, and graduated from Vandalia-Butler High School (Vandalia, OH) in 1957, at the dawn of the Space Race.  Eager to embrace the challenge of the day, he earned his BS and MS in Metallurgical Engineering from Purdue University, and went on to obtain a PhD in Metallurgy from the University of Denver in 1970.  He served on active duty in the United States Air Force in the Research & Development and Acquisition Program Management career fields for nearly 25 years, and retired as a Colonel in 1986.  In civilian life he succeeded in building teams and growing business at The Analytic Sciences Corp (TASC), Suncoast Scientific, and finally at Motorola Solutions.

Darrell relished work.  Though he had to be coaxed into retirement, he was pleased to be able to use his knowledge and skills for the public good with the Institute for Senior Professionals at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, FL, where he was a past chair and active Director. In retirement, he was also able to more fully enjoy his lifelong passions: golfing with the Vagabonds at Eglin Air Force Base, owning and flying a vintage 1949 Navion, and singing Barbershop Harmony with the Emerald Coast Chorus, which he co-founded in 1978.  He treasured singing baritone in the Front Row barbershop quartet.  He was a member and past volunteer at Crosspoint Church in Crestview, which played a huge role in deepening his faith.  He loved God, Family, and Country, and celebrated life and friendships at every opportunity.

Friends of the family are invited to attend a service to celebrate the life and continuing journey of Darrell at Emerald Coast Funeral Home at 11:00 am on Thursday, April 25, 161 Racetrack Rd NW, Fort Walton Beach, FL. The family will receive guests for an hour prior to the service.  A private burial will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery on Friday, April 26.  In lieu of flowers, it was Darrell’s wish that donations be made to Crosspoint Church-South Crestview Campus for their work in the community.

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