James C Paisley

The Life of Jim Paisley


James Clarence Paisley, of Keller, Texas, was born on October 26, 1944. He left this world for a new adventure on January 12, 2020. ‘Jim’ was extremely cool. He wasn’t just regular cool, he was John Wayne cool. Everyone that encountered him knew this instantly.

Jim was the fifth of six siblings, and graduated from Central High School in Sioux City, Iowa in 1962. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree from University of Northern Iowa in 1966, Jim proved his metal by bravely joining the Marine Corps Reserves, proudly serving his country. During this time, he began work with Price Waterhouse, earning his CPA license. He wasn’t just an accountant… he was a tough-as-nails Marine cool accountant.

Perhaps it was this level of coolness that helped him land the stunningly gorgeous love of his life, Susan, and her two beautiful daughters, Julie and Kristin. The four of them became an incredibly close family in Madison, WI and they pulled up anchor and headed to Texas. Once in the Lone Star State, the family expanded, adding J.B. ‘Simba’ Paisley into the mix. The tribe was now complete.

Jim worked in the petroleum industry briefly with American Quasar, but the coolest Marine accountant around was ready to spread his entrepreneurial wings. With somewhere between zero to little enthusiasm from his immediate family, Jim looked to his in-laws, Carmen and Dayton Barker, for a trusting belief in his vision and a bit of financial backing. They could tell Jim was onto something, and they could see how driven he was. They wanted in. The Barkers threw their support behind him, and he opened his first car wash in 1978. The sky was the limit after that. As his car wash began to flourish, Jim opened several more successful businesses, all tied keenly to his sense of adventure, following his gut in the knowledge that he would succeed for his family. Jim became the John Wayne of the car wash world. He was gruff and tough. His coolness and deft business acumen preceded him. It was this sense of adventurous entrepreneurship that allowed his children to swing for the fences in life, throwing the best support and encouragement behind them that a father could possibly provide. Of course he did this, you know? That’s what the best dads do. And make no mistake; he was one of the best dads to ever grace this planet.

That’s where this story of Jim ultimately takes us: to the role of being a dad. This was important to him above all things. Jim wasn’t an okay dad. He wasn’t a good dad. Jim was an exceptional dad. This was his most prized role. It was a role where he never faltered, and never fell short. He was exceptional. He was tough. He was loving. He was supportive. He loved his partner in crime, his wife, deeply. The two of them might just go down in history as one of the greatest couples to ever live. They were perfection. Jim was the benchmark for what dads and husbands should be. And, as was mentioned before, he was just so cool. We should all be proud that this guy showed us how to do life. A finer example does not exist. He will be missed deeply, and by many.

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Susan, his son, JB, his two daughters that he loved as his own, Julie English (with her husband Steve) and Kristin Card (with her husband Rick), his seven grandchildren that were the light of his life, and his sister, Sue Greeno. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, J. Earle and Lovis Paisley, sister Alwayne, and brothers Johnathan, Thomas, and Robert, and his in-laws, Carmen and Dayton Barker.

The Celebration of Life will be at Lucas Funeral Home in Keller, on January 16, from 5pm to 7pm. In lieu of flowers,the family requests memorial contributions be made to either Stepping Stones Foundation, dedicated to Helping at risk children achieve their goals, https://steppingstoneskeller.org/donate , or to The Community Storehouse, www.communitystorehouse.org , dedicated to the education and well-being of low income children in our community.