James Edward Ferguson
James Edward Ferguson, 85, went to be with our lord and savior on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, after a short illness.
Visitation wi ll be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home in Rockdale.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, at Phillips & Luckey with burial following at I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Rockdale. Bro. Billy Edwards will officiate.
James was born Dec. 19, 1937, in Brookeland, in the piney woods of East Texas. He was the oldest son of Thomas Selmer Ferguson and Lawis Key Barrington.
James was the valedictorian of Brookeland High School.
Upon graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in White Sands, New Mexico.
While in the army, he met and married Gloria Vigil on Nov. 20, 1958; they were blessed with 62 years of marriage. To this union, two daughters were born, Geri Lynn and Cheryl Wynne.
James worked at his dad’s filling station in Jasper upon moving back to Texas.
In 1965, he moved his family to Rockdale and started Barrington & Son’s Auto Parts doing business with his mother, stepfather and brother Tom. In 1994, they sold the parts stores and transitioned to the after-market paint industry, opening Tasco Auto Color. Tasco grew to over 40 locations, with multiple business entities under it, and won countless awards from PPG Paint, while servicing body shops across the United States.
Those that knew James, knew his work was his driving force; in fact he worked up until the day he was hospitalized, nothing slowed him down. If he wasn’t at work, you’d catch him on the phone, always tending to business. His keen business sense and charismatic personality, as well as the ability to lead, with his words and eyes, made an impression on many.
He enjoyed playing golf and was a charter member of the Rockdale Country Club, where his friends called him “Fergie.”
James earned the title of “Gaga” in 1985 and his grandchildren/ great-grandchildren were the light of his life.
James was a member of First Christian Church.
In 2018, James purchased some river property on the San Gabriel River in Rockdale and you could find him out there every weekend piddling around on his skid steer.
James was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria; his parents, Selmer and Lucille Ferguson and Lawis and Charlie Barrington; his in-laws, Frank and Esoila Vigil; his beloved aunt, Bessie Ferguson; brothers Tom Ferguson and Jerry Ferguson; sister Barbara Ryan; and numerous brothers- and sistersin- law.
Survivors are his children, Geri and Shawn Alexander of Rockdale, Cheryl and David Urbanovsky of Crawford; grandchildren Brooksy and Colby Fisher, Haley Davidson, Brittany and Cotey Bowman, Ashley and Colson Ballard, John James and Bailey Urbanovsky; Great-grandchildren Paisly and Owen Fisher, Oliver, Adeline and Asher Bowman, Autumn and William Ballard; step-granddaughter Samantha Alexander; and sisters Terry Jo Eddy and Wanda Jean Leone; as well as numerous nieces and nephews, friends, business associates, and customers.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Christian Church, 231 Burleson, Rockdale, TX 76567 or the American Cancer Society, an organization that was dear to his heart.