James "Jimmy" Hampton

 

        "Though he was born in Oklahoma City, he was raised here in Dallas from an early age and was as Texan as any of us. Personally, I became a fan of 'Jimmy' (as he’s known by his friends) when I was very young. My fandom started with his appearance on The Dukes of Hazzard and the awesome movie Hangar 18, not to mention watching reruns of F-Troop with my Granny. I have never met anyone who hasn't seen a production that Jimmy was a part of.

About 20 years ago, I wrote a letter to Jimmy asking for his autograph and telling him how much I loved Hangar 18. He sent me a wonderful photo of him and Gary Collins, signed specifically to me, which I still have today. A few years later, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Jimmy and his wife, Mary, at a local convention. After lengthy conversations over the years, a true friendship was formed.

Every year, Jimmy, Mary, and I would exchange Christmas cards. We always kept in touch—either by email or Facebook if meeting in person wasn't possible. A while back, I was informed that Jimmy’s health was declining and he would no longer be able to attend conventions, but I still checked in to see how they were doing. Though we weren't as close as some, I still considered them good friends.

Sadly, Jimmy passed away yesterday. I would be lying if I said I didn't start crying when I found out. He was a wonderful person, and he will surely be missed. It was an honor to know him in the time that I did. My best to his family. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.