James Berman

James Glen Berman would want to shake your hand right now, crack a joke, and share a smile with you. You would feel the strength in his palms, his solid arms, but at the same time you would feel the kindness of his spirit come over you. You could tell by his eyes that he was really listening to you, to what you had to say, and that he cared about you. Before you knew it, he would be your friend, and you would join the ranks of the countless friends of James Berman scattered far and wide over Texas and the USA. He wouldn't hesitate to give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Pretty soon...you too, would have a nick-name. James was an amazing father; husband, brother, friend, optician, Christian and optimist. He was born in San Angelo, Texas on September 25, 1960, and would LIVE in Texas all his days. After growing up and starting his life in San Angelo, James moved to Dallas where he lived for many years working as a dedicated optician, and where he met his wife Cara, the love of his life.

A self-described "Texas-boy, really a San-Angelo boy" anyone who knew James knows that Texas held a special place in his heart, something like heaven on earth, his home. He loved Texas state-parks, Texas football, the long Texas sunsets, and the Czech stop in West where he would buy kolaches for his sons when traveling. James also loved music, especially live music, and would often take his family to see his favorite artists. He danced a mean two-step, a great waltz, you name it. While he was growing up, James was a talented basketball player and an athlete that always worked for what he had. He shared his love of sports with people while serving as a YMCA football coach, a church league basketball coach, and then coached his oldest son's first soccer team called "The Little Rascals". In addition to being a life-long athlete, James was also a sports fanatic. Not only was James a Cowboys, Rangers and UT fan through the thick and the very thin, he was a fan of the Dallas Mavericks since their creation in 1980 and was beyond ecstatic when they won the championship in 2011. As soon as the Mavericks won that night, James got down on one knee and proposed to Cara. Not long after, James and Cara celebrated their honey-moon at "Honeymoon Island" in Florida. James was a romantic.

Any picture of James would be incomplete if it didn't tell you about his sense of adventure, which could be spontaneous and even a little mischievous. James was known to bend the rules sometimes, so long as it was harmless. If you were in down-town Dallas he might suggest going to the highest story of a business building to see the skyline, somewhere technically off -limits, persuading you to come along by saying, "The worst they can tell you is no." If you were hiking in the mountains, he might suggest that you try to get off the path and see where it takes you. A little known fact about James is that he was also an incredible story-teller. When his sons were little, restless, and couldn't get to sleep, he would get up in the middle of the night, sit next to them with patient kindness, and make up a fantastic adventure story. Every night was a continuation of a series titled "The Amazing Berman Brothers." His sons will remember these wonderful, and hilarious, stories for the rest of their lives.

James's faith was at the center of who he was. His unwavering faith in the Lord, his trust that He would show the way and watch over those He cared about, was something that characterized him until his last hours on earth. James was the kind of person that gives you strength, and will continue to give everyone strength who holds him in their memory. We already feel him looking over us, smiling with his eyes, blue as the skies of Texas in summer.

James has four sons, Justus, Jarret, Jordan, and Jeremy, and a sister, Linda Van Sickle and her husband Frank, who love him with all their hearts. He has a beautiful wife Cara, who with incredible courage and love, supported and cared for him until it was his time to go home. He is also survived by his Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Horace "Took" Edwards, sister in laws Sharon Denton and Diane Abbott and their families, niece Pamela O'Connor and her husband Mike, nephew J.D. Van Sickle and his wife Sarah. He was preceded in death by his parents Elmo and Gertrude Berman. James always wanted people to see the value in themselves, to let you know how much of an amazing person you really are. What James wants to know is, "What do you want to give back to the world?"

There will be a service to celebrate James life on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 3:00 PM at Chase Oaks Church, 281 Legacy Dr., Plano, Texas 75023. The family will greet friends following the service.