James "Jim" Alan Michal

"Jim"

James Alan Michal

1930 ~ 2019

James “Jim” Alan Michal passed away peacefully at home in the Nassau Bay Area in Houston, Texas on Monday July 29, 2019.  Jim’s entire immediate family was present and praying at his bedside at the time of his passing.  Jim was born on November 28, 1930 in Kansas City, Missouri to parents Mike and Betty Michal.  The Michal family moved to Tulsa Oklahoma in 1936 and Jim attended Catholic Schools in Tulsa most notably Holy Family Catholic High School from 1944-1948 where he was a 3 Sport Athlete.  He then attended The University of Oklahoma in Norman Oklahoma and started his lifelong passion of everything OU Sooners (Boomer Sooner!). He received his Bachelors of Business Administration Degree from OU in May 1952.  Jim then enlisted in the US Army as a 2nd Lieutenant in September of 1952.  He served our country with honors during the Korean War receiving The Korean Services Medal, The Bronze Service Star, The United Nations Services Medal and The National Defense Service Medal.  Jim was honorably discharged from the US Army in 1954, he then returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma to resume civilian life.  He met and married Ann Gormley Shaw in 1957.  He also, at this time, attended Law School again at the University of Oklahoma graduating in 1959 with a Doctorate of Jurisprudence.  Jim then started a long and successful career with State Farm Insurance in the Area of Claims Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Also in this timeframe, Jim and Ann started a family with daughters Kathryn born 1958, Mary born 1959, Laurie born 1965 and son James Jr. born 1963.  Jim and Family moved to Houston, Texas in the summer of 1965 after was he promoted and relocated with State Farm.

The Family mainly lived in the Meadowcreek subdivision in Southeast Houston from 1968 – 1998 with a brief residence in the Clear Lake/ El Camino Real Area in 1974 – 1975.  Jim continued to have a successful and prosperous career with State Farm finally retiring in 1996.  Jim had a total of 37 Years of tenure with State Farm with only 1 sick days in all 37 years.  Jim and his wife Ann then moved to the Nassau Bay area in the Clear Lake Webster area for retirement.

Jim had many interest and activities during his lifetime including reading (fiction and nonfiction), traveling with wife and children and following his 2 favorite Sports teams: OU Sooner Football and the Houston Astros.  Jim was as avid and passionate about OU Football as any OU fan – he traveled as much as possible to see any game in person and never missed a radio and/or TV broadcast of OU Football.  He was excited and happy when the OU Football results were good and also very vocal and animated when results were not ideal.  Anyone who watched an OU game with Jim knows this and anyone within 50 feet or less could hear Jim clearly during these games (including next door neighbors).  Jim was able to follow OU football for 7 National Championships starting with his junior year at OU.  He was equally as passionate about the Houston Astros attending Astros games from 1965 and beyond at both the Astrodome and Minutemaid Park and on radio and TV.  Jim would watch all Astros games until the game was over even when the Astros had 100+ losses in a season.  He was able to see the Astros win the World Series in 2017 from his hospital room after a major surgery.  Jim made certain his family and hospital nurses kept him awake that night to see the last out versus the LA Dodgers in Game 7.  Also in his retirement, he loved spending time with his own children but also grandchildren and Great Grandchildren and would do anything to help all his family members and other friends and acquaintances.  Jim also loved, in his retirement, spending time and going lunch weekly with his 2 best friends from State Farm, Charley King and Decker Smith.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents Mike (1993) and Betty (2000) Michal.  He is survived by his wife of nearly 62 years, Ann Shaw Michal, daughters, Kathryn Ann Outterside, Mary Elizabeth Goan, Laurie Susan Brazil; and son, James Alan Michal, Jr.  He is also survived by grandchildren, Michal Villarreal, Daniel Goan Jr., Jennifer McCandless, Rebecca Epps, and Luke Brazil.  Additionally, Jim is also survived by great grandchildren, Anastasia Villarreal, Gia McCandless, Niko McCandless, Amelia Epps, Zeta McCandless, and soon to be Charlie Epps.

A Funeral Catholic Mass will be held at 11AM Wednesday July 31, 2019 at the St Mary’s Catholic Church on 1612 E Walker St, League City, TX 77573 with a celebration of life (also on Wed. July 31st) at 1PM at 1818 Davon Lane Houston Texas 77058 (The Michal Home).   A Private family Burial will be held at the Mt Olivet Catholic Cemetery at 7801 Gulf Fwy, Dickinson, TX 77539 on Thursday August 1 st 2019.