JAMES C. STEPHENS, 63, was the son of Lonnie C. &
Irene Vaughan Stephens. He was born on Oct. 10,
1944 at Paris, TX. He attended Ranger High School
in the Class of 1963 at Ranger, TX. His brother
Curtis L. Stephens (RHS-1959) & wife, the former
Annabeth Deffebach (RHS-1959) live in Naples, FL.
A sister, Janice Stephens (RHS-1966), attended RHS
her first two years until the family was transferred
to Bronte, TX. She lives in Mesa, AZ, with her
husband, Roy Aspbury.
James was married to Susan Elaine and they had a son,
Jonathan Ryan Stephens, now 32, & who is in the Navy
and stationed on Whidby Island between Seattle and
Vancouver, BC, with his wife Kristin, and an 8 week
old son, Austin Edward Stephens.
Jim was graduated from Texas A&M with a BS in Business
Administration and continued his education at Texas A&M,
receiving an MBA degree. After graduating from A&M
with his Master's Degree, he went through Officer
Candidate School and was in the Army from 1969-1971,
serving as a company commander in Vietnam in 1969-1970,
and was awarded two Bronze Stars. He has been living
and working as a Business Manager/CFO for a large group
of orthopedic doctors in the Orlando area for the last
18 or so years.
Jim had been battling liver cancer for a couple of years
and had been undergoing treatments at MD Anderson Hospital
in Houston. Apparently, that was unsuccessful, and Jim
had been receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments
while continuing to work in Orlando. He was still working
on the Monday prior to his death on Saturday, October 27,
2007. He entered Hospice care on the day before his death.
He died at his home in Orlando, FL, with his brother,
Curtis, by his side. The family firmly believes Jim's
cancer was a direct result of his service in Vietnam and
considers him to be another casualty of the Vietnam War.
Jim was an active member of many Vietnam Veterans groups
in Orlando and participated in many Vietnam Vet's motorcycle
events, riding his Harley, for various charities.
Jim is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Curtis L.
and Annabeth Stephens, their two sons, Derek Clayton (his
7 year old son, Christopher Kenkade "Kade", and Darren
Blair Stephens, his wife Colleen, and 15 year old daughter,
Desiree. He is also survived by his sister, Janice Aspbury
and husband, Roy. Janice has a step-daughter, Shelley, by
Roy's first marriage, and two grandchildren, twins Adam
and Emily, age 10.
Internment was at Florida National Cemetery with full
military honors at Bushnell, FL.