James Lamar (“Bubba”) Adkins departed this life the morning of Jan. 3, 2016 in Carrollton, Texas at the age of 72.
James was born to Clarence Adkins and Lauretta Thompson Adkins in Tyler, Texas, the second of their four children. James accepted Christ at an early age and was a member of True Vine Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. He began his formal education in Tyler Public Schools where he excelled in football, playing quarterback for Emmett J. Scott High School. After graduating from high school in 1962, he attended Prairie View A & M University and Texas Southern University where his thin, slim build earned him the moniker “Tish,” short for tissue paper. James later earned his bachelor’s degree from Loretto Heights College in Denver, Colorado and his master’s degree from The University of Colorado.
Full of confidence, swagger, and cool, James lit up every room that he entered and gave life to any social event he attended. Always the conversationalist, James never met a stranger, and had no problem talking with anyone from congressmen to cowboys, regaling listeners with tales from his fascinating life.
