James "Jim" Richman

James (Jim) Lloyd Richman passed away April 24, 2024 with both of his daughters by his side. Due to his strong faith and answered prayers, he was able to fight a fearless, seven year battle with Lymphoma and Leukemia. He is now in the loving arms of our Savior, whom he loved and served so faithfully his whole life. He was a devoted and beloved son, husband, father, father-in-law, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, great-uncle, grandfather, worship singer and friend. He will be missed more than words can express. Born on March 30, 1940 to Virginia and Henry Richman in the tiny town of Tower City, North Dakota, Jim grew up on a farm with his sister Elaine Richman. He was surrounded by a large extended family, and lived under the bluest skies with sunflowers taller than you could imagine, and of course snow – lots and lots of snow. He and his family attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, which they physically helped build when Jim was about eight years old. It is in these formative years, he began gaining a strong faith in the Lord. He attended Tower City Public School playing basketball and baseball, all while helping his father manage their farm. He was especially close with all of the Richman cousins and considered them his brothers. Three cherished memories from his youth include receiving a Lionel Train set at the age of eight on Christmas morning, the moment his teacher gifted him his first trumpet, and going to the State Championship with his high school basketball team. The train set from his childhood was the spark for his enduring hobby of collecting and restoring vintage trains, a joy he would later share with his children and grandchildren. To this day, Jim kept his inaugural trumpet, which his grandson Jace had the honor of playing in a recent concert. The memory of their basketball team's third-place victory at State remains unforgettable for them all. After spending some time at NDSU for college, Jim dedicated many years to expanding the family farm, which spanned over 2,500 acres. Although he loved farming, he also loved his family and decided to visit his sister, who had moved to Texas in 1968. As the saying goes, “he got to Texas as fast as he could, and he never left.” While in Texas he had his second amazing career, co-owning the Dean Goss Dinner Theater. He was very proud of the success of the Dinner theater and enjoyed interacting with many new people each night. It was quite a change from his small farm-town in Tower City, but he adapted well by reading books on communication and growing his faith. The dinner theater was where he met his wife with beautiful red hair, Ada Lou. She was a school teacher at the time looking for extra work, and she called the dinner theater to be a waitress. It was love at first sight, and he hired her as soon as there was a job opening. They were engaged and married three months later at First United Methodist Church in Houston on October 24, 1970. Soon after the wedding, they began attending Faith Lutheran Church. They had Jaime Leigh in 1977 and Jenny Linne in 1984. Jim never missed an event for his daughters, from violin concerts, to dance recitals, and lacrosse or volleyball games. He was a wonderful dad! Jim and Ada Lou loved the Lord and sought to ensure that their family attended church every Sunday. He and Jenny sang in the choir and started the Faith Alive Band. Jim had an amazing voice and loved praising the Lord. He sang in choir and the church band for over 45 years. Devoted to both his church and family, Jim faced a profound loss when his wife passed away from cancer in 1997. During this difficult period, the bond between Jim and Jenny strengthened significantly, finding solace and companionship in each other's presence at home. The subsequent years, through middle and high school, were filled with both challenges and joy. Enjoying ice cream for dinner and spending long nights playing basketball in the driveway or practicing band music together, these years are filled with cherished memories. Jim's professional achievements in the Insurance business also shone brightly during these years, earning him a prestigious sales award that included a trip to Switzerland. Together, Jim and Jenny indulged in the best of Europe, saw the Paris skyline from the top of the Eiffel Tower, shopped for a college graduation dress in France, and explored quaint mountain villages nestled in the Alps. Jim would never say he was retired. He loved staying active at church, helping Jenny and Jaime with their businesses, learning new things, and keeping up with the latest trends in cars, computers and iphones. The only thing that could get him to drop everything was his grandchildren (and watching tractor videos on YouTube). Often, he could be found eating dinner with the grandkids, talking to them about their faith in Jesus, teaching them how to communicate in life, watching the TV show “Alone” or funny animal vines, hosting sleepovers at Grandpa’s, rebuilding vintage trains, erector set creations (a vintage engineering toy), making root beer floats, and taking them to skateboarding and lacrosse practices. Living for Jesus and his grandchildren is the reason he fought so hard for life these past seven years. Throughout these years, his zest for life brought about numerous joyous celebrations and lasting memories. Guaranteed, James is pain free and praising Jesus with song now, surrounded by his parents, sister and his “beautiful redhead." He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law Jenny and Anton Usaj of Denver, Jaime and Jonathan Sonnier of Houston, his beautiful grandchildren Jace and Jordyn Sonnier, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Jennifer and Jim Hartman, niece Kelly Henke and family, nephews JR Hartman Jr. and family, Dean Goss Jr. and family, and Brian Goss and family. The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to those who have been a beacon of love and support in all of their lives, including Kathy and Lance Janik, caregivers Anthony Turney and Patricia Diaz, cherished family friends and honorary grandchildren Alison, Spencer, and Skylar Marich, Theresa Rimkus, David and Nita Quintanilla, the community of Faith Lutheran Church, Alan Balius, members of the Faith Choir and Faith Alive Band, Crosspoint Church, Episcopal High School, the clientele of Jaime’s Casa de Camera, the Brokers and Staff at Usaj Realty, the dedicated teams at Texas Oncology, Oncology Consultants, and Memorial Hermann, as well as the MD Anderson Palliative Care Unit. We are also eternally grateful to the numerous nurses and aides who have been part of his care. A Celebration of Life for James will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Faith Lutheran Church Bellaire, Texas. A reception will follow at the church. At Jim’s request, please wear brightly-colored worship attire to celebrate a life lived for Jesus. Interment of Ashes for both James and Ada Lou will follow at a later time in Victoria, Texas and Tower City, North Dakota. In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to The Faith House Ministry at Faith Lutheran Church, MD Anderson Blood Bank, or Oak Forest Foster Closet. Faith House Ministry https://faithhousehouston.org/donate/ MD Anderson Blood Bank https://www.mdandersonbloodbank.org/index.cfm?group=op Oak Forest Foster Closet https://ofac.churchcenter.com/giving/to/oak-forest-foster-closet?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2H9SpyvZx3KNcGSrknNkTXJxg7AbRP-vYyhrHq-HfpAb3M98JuAAYakvk_aem_AXyhedsYaBccQdv3zSI5V0IAwOd6zld2rw4L0DviH4OlKHGS0-wqVGc_FxEMP5076yZrr7gN9ew8h8gFwt8mYvCx

James "Jim" Richman

March 30, 1940 - April 24, 2024