James Lunsford, Sr

James Harold Lunsford, Sr. of Clarksville, Tennessee traded mortality for immortality at 11:30 AM Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at Gateway Medical Center .  He was 83 years old.

Jim was born in Ninety-Six, South Carolina on June 7, 1931.  He was the son of James Andrew Lunsford and Annie Bell Cook-Lunsford.  Jim enlisted in the United States Army in 1951, served for 9 years, was a veteran of the Korean War and was honorably discharged.  He continued to serve his country as a civil service employee and member of the Army and Air Force National Guard.  Jim retired from civil service in June of 1986.  In June 1991 he retired from the Tennessee Air National Guard.  He was awarded the United States Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars, the National Defense Service Medal and 2 Good Conduct Medals.  Jim had served as the Chaplain and remained Honorary Chaplain of The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA).

Jim married Ramona Joyce Brown on June 1, 1955 and they enjoyed 59 years and 9 months of marriage.  He is survived by his wife and two daughters and one son: Evangeline Ruth Smith and her husband David Smith, Rebecca Joyce Kiser and her husband Lou Kiser, and Rev. James Harold Lunsford, Jr. and his wife Michelle.  Three grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by 2 infant children and 2 infant grandchildren.

At his passing Jim had been a member of Fly Church of the Nazarene in Fly, Tennessee since 2010.  For 31 years prior to that,  Jim and Ramona had been members of Clarksville First Church of the Nazarene.

The family will receive visitors from 9:00 AM until the start of a memorial service at 11:00 AM Thursday, March 19th at the Sykes Funeral Home, 424 Franklin Street, Clarksville, Tennessee.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial tributes be made to Fly Church of the Nazarene, 2713 Fly Road, Santa Fe, TN  38482 or to Clarksville First Church of the Nazarene, 151 Richview Road, Clarksville, TN  37043.