James Wesley Paul

James Wesley Paul
James Wesley Paul, 96, of Orange, Texas, passed away peacefully on June 17, 2023, at his home of 69 years.

A visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, June 25, 2023, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.

Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, June 26, 2023, at St. Mary Cemetery in Orange.

Born in Davis, North Carolina, on January 10, 1927, he was the son of John Wesley Paul and Ruby Davis Paul. James grew up close with his brother in Davis in a house built in 1903, where his father was raised, that is still standing today. Some of his fondest memories took place in that house, and every summer, even after moving away, he looked forward to traveling there with his entire family. James joined the United States Navy at the age of 17, going on to fight in both World War II and the Korean War. He proudly became a Tin Can Sailor, serving on a destroyer during World War II. After the Korean War, James married the love of his life, Burneat “Neat” Taylor, in 1954 and settled in Orange, purchasing the home where they would raise their children and continue living throughout the rest of their lives. During this time, he remained in the Navy working as Shore Patrol and was also able to work for Smith Radio & T.V. While working for the Smith brothers, James got to know nearly everyone in Orange by doing repairs and installing antennas in their homes. After leaving the Navy, he went from working for Smith Radio & T.V. to working for Goodrich Gulf Chemical Plant, eventually becoming Chevron as an Instrument and Electrical Mechanic.

James and Neat were a very social couple in Orange, involved heavily in their churches and community. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Orange, where he taught Sunday school. James was a lifetime member and former commander of the American Legion and Orange Lions Club, spending many years running the Carousel at the Lions Club Carnival. He also continued his ties with the Navy by being a founding member and active volunteer of the USS Orleck Museum in Orange. James was a history buff through and through, loving to read anything on the past he could and using his incredible memory to tell stories. Not only was James very active in the community, but he was also active in the lives of those he cared about. He was always willing to help and step in to care for those who needed assistance. James was known to drive around friends who could no longer do so themselves, taking them to church or on errands, and always for a stop at Dairy Queen on the way home. In his free time, he enjoyed traveling, camping with his wife and their camping group in Crowley, Louisiana, and woodworking. There wasn’t much he could not do or make, and he used those skills to remodel his entire home himself, build his children a swimming pool, and create forts with them using T.V. boxes he brought home from working at Smiths. James was a great man with a kind and giving heart, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

He is preceded in death by loving wife, Burneat “Neat” Paul; parents, John and Ruby Paul; daughter, Burneat Cooper; sons, John Taylor Paul, Ralph Hogan and wife, Catherine Hogan, and James Hebert Paul and wife, JoAnn Evans Paul.

Those left to cherish his memory are his children, Nancy Mitchell and husband, Tommy, of Tarboro, North Carolina, Beth Wheeler and husband, Kenneth, of Orange, and Judy Taylor Paul of Smithville, Texas; grandchildren, Drew Hays, John Cooper, Mike Mitchell, Vicky Mitchell, Taylor Watson, Wesley Watson, Charles Wheeler, Jared Wheeler, Hayley Books, Paul Ray Books, Lewis Hogan, Dustin Hogan, Jonathan Paul, Jeffrey Paul, and Jennifer Horn; 19 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; brother, Charles Paul of Virginia; and numerous other loving friends and family.

Serving as pallbearers will be Jeffrey Paul, Lewis Hogan, Paul Ray Books, Taylor Watson, Wesley Watson, Dalton Hogan, and Noah Watson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Southeast Texas Hospice at 912 W Cherry Ave. Orange, Texas 77630.

The family of James would like to extend a special thank you to Cathy Manshack, Grey Baldwin, Yvette Cotton, Tina Beasley, Chaquetta Declouet, Fecelica Turner, and the entire staff of Southeast Texas Hospice for the care they provided not only to him, but their entire family.