Though he was born in Oklahoma City, he was raised here in Dallas from an early age. He was as Texan as any of us. For me personally I became a fan of Jimmy's (as he's known by his friends) at a young age. From his appearance on the Dukes of Hazzard and the awesome movie Hangar 18. Not to mention watching reruns of F-Troop with my Granny. My fandom only increased from there. I personally have never met anyone that hasn't seen a production that Jimmy has been a part of. About 20 years ago, I wrote a letter to Jimmy asking him for his autograph and telling him about my love of Hangar 18. He sent me a wonderful photo of he and Gary Collins signed to me. To which I still have. A few years later I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Jimmy and his wonderful wife Mary at a local convention. After lengthy conversations over the years a friendship was formed. Every year Jimmy, Mary, and I would exchange Christmas cards. We would always keep in touch, either by email or FB if in person wasn't possible. A while back, I was advised of Jimmy's health and him not being able to attend conventions anymore. But I still would check in to see how they were doing. Though Jimmy, Mary, & I weren't as close as others, I still considered them good friends. Sadly Jimmy passed away yesterday. I would be lying if I say 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. His family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
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