Memorials › Jimmy David DeFoor
Jimmy David DeFoor
5 Dec 1946 – 10 Jun 2022
| Birth | 5 Dec 1946 |
| Death | 10 Jun 2022 |
| Cemetery | Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene Abilene , Jones County , Texas , USA |
| Added by | Txjimdandy on 15 Jun 2022 |
| FaG | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240551300 |
Bio
Jimmy David DeFoor, U.S. Army (Ret), Viet Nam Veteran and devoted family man passed from this life into the presence of his Lord and Savior on June 10, 2022. A memorial service is planned for 9:30 am, Thursday, June 16, 2022, at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 525 Beech St., Abilene, led by long-time friend, Rev. Bill Libby. An 11:00 am service with honors presented by the United States Army, Abilene Police Department and the Masonic Lodge will take place on Thursday at his beloved Texas State Veterans Cemetery Pavilion. Jimmy is survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Barbara (Stevens) DeFoor; daughters Kelly Roberts (Randy), Stephanie Berger (Jeremy), Hayley DeFoor, and Rebecca DeFoor; sons Kevin DeFoor (Heather) and Brian DeFoor (Toni). He was the beloved Papaw of so many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved his countless nieces, nephews, and family friends. He is preceded in death by his beloved parents, Albert and Estelle DeFoor, his brother, CPL Victor Lee DeFoor, his precious daughter, Heather Renee (DeFoor) Hinson, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and beloved fellow veterans that he thought of as family. He was born on December 5, 1946, to Albert David and Estelle (Largent) DeFoor in Jacksonville, Texas. As a young teenager, he relocated to Abilene, Texas with his family. An alumnus of Cooper High School, Jimmy enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving three tours in Viet Nam. After the devastating loss of his beloved brother in South Viet Nam, Jimmy continued his service in the Naval Reserve. He later served for many years in the U.S. Army Reserve, first in the 490th Civil Affairs Division and later in the 244th Psychological Operations Company (Airborne) based in Abilene, Texas. He volunteered for active duty in 1990, sharing his skills to help stabilize and train a national police force in Panama in the aftermath of the Panamanian Conflict. He was also called to active duty in Kuwait and Iraq during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. At the age of 32, he entered the Abilene Police Academy and began a fulfilling career as an Abilene Police Officer. During his career, he served as a patrolman, motor unit (he loved his police motorcycle and his personal Harley Davidson), was a member of the SWAT team and the Hazardous Devices Unit (bomb squad), helped provide security for U.S. Presidents Ford and Carter when they visited Abilene, served as Public Information Officer, Street Crimes Unit, and the Communications Division. He was instrumental in bringing 911 to Abilene and was an early advocate of community policing. He earned countless certificates, awards, and honors through the years. A favorite was being honored as Police Officer of the Year by the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. He retired as a Sergeant Detective in the Criminal Investigation Division after 21 years of faithful service. Retirement didn't agree with Jimmy as he had to be busy and engaged in his community. He took on the role of Veteran's Service Officer and Director of the Taylor County Veteran's Office. He served as an expert in Veteran's Administration Law and fought tirelessly for veterans, both individually and collectively, in receiving the benefits they were due after serving their country. He truly loved each and every veteran, spouse and dependent who he felt so privileged to serve for 15 years. After retiring from his role as Veteran's Service Officer, he took on a role as the Texas Veteran's Land Board On-Site Representative for the Texas State Veteran's Cemetery, Abilene. Jimmy spearheaded the effort to bring the cemetery to Abilene. He was passionate about ensuring that veterans and their families were properly honored. He made the decision to retire one last time so that he could spend as much time as possible with his family. To his last day, he remained a tireless advocate for veterans causes. One initiative that was very dear to him was the Texas Veteran's Cemetery Abilene Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial, currently under construction. He was quoted as saying, "This memorial is pretty special to me, and a lot of other folks here in Abilene, and when it's finished, we'll all have a great feeling of accomplishment. I'm not one who likes to just sit around, I like to get involved. This project has given me an opportunity to work with many of the other Vietnam Veterans here in our community. We've all been close for many years." He elegantly continued, "Don't miss the chance to have ownership in this unique project. Even if you can only donate a few dollars, you can have pride in knowing that you helped build this monument that will bring comfort and solace to so many veterans and their families." In lieu of flowers, Jimmy's family would like you to consider making a donation in his name to his passion project. Donations can be made directly on the Community Foundation of Abilene's website or checks can be made out to the Community Foundation of Abilene; please write Viet Nam Memorial in the notes section. Community Foundation of Abilene, P.O. Box 1001, Abilene, TX 79604. Condolences for the family may be left at: www.northsfuneralhome.com. Posted online on June 14, 2022 Published in Abilene Reporter News
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SFC US ARMY BT2 US NAVY VIETNAM PERSIAN GULF ARCOM AAM WIND BENEATH MY WINGS
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