Irvin James Fleetwood

Irvin James Fleetwood, Jr. went by Jim, Dad, or Grandpa to friends and family. He was born in New Orleans in 1947 to Irvin, Sr. and Henrietta Fleetwood. His father’s work took the family to Maracaibo, Venezuela when Jim was two years old and he stayed there for most of his school years. He returned to the United States in Santa Maria, California to graduate high school. He then attended Lamar College in Beaumont, Texas and earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. Shortly after, he was drafted into the Army and served one tour in Vietnam where he was awarded a bronze star and the rank of Sergeant E5. After his discharge, he moved to Silsbee, TX where he met Mary McLean, whom he wed in 1975.

Soon after, Jim was hired by the Permian Corporation as an oil pipeline engineer and his career took off. He became highly regarded in his field with many loyal colleagues. His career moved him and Mary to Abilene, Texas then to Casper, Wyoming. In Wyoming, they had two children – Michael and Erin. The family then moved to Houston then Abbeville, Louisiana. As empty nesters, Jim and Mary moved back to Casper, then finally to Dallas after Jim’s retirement to be close to their children and five grandchildren.

Jim was soft-spoken, but if you were listening, you’d be sure to catch his dry sense of humor and be glad you did. In his leisure time he enjoyed playing guitar and watching sports. He loved Sci-Fi shows especially Star Trek, Doctor Who and X-Files. His engineering mind made it so he could fix or build almost anything and was the on-call repairman for his family. Above all, Jim was devoted to his church and family and often volunteered for youth groups and mission trips.

Jim passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of July 4, 2026 after a lengthy illness. He left his home honorably draped in an American flag.

He is preceded in death by his parents and a brother and sister. 

He is missed and loved by his wife of 50 years, Mary Fleetwood, his children Michael (Melissa) Fleetwood, and Erin (Luke) Bender, five grandchildren, and sisters Carol Uhlfelder, Delores Taylor, Christine Fleetwood, Lisa Williamson, and many nieces and nephews.