James Carlisle

Published 12:00 am Friday, September 4, 2009

NATCHEZ — Services for James Henry Carlisle, 84, of Natchez, who died Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009, after a brief illness at Adams County Nursing Center, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Parkway Baptist Church with Dr. Jason Cole officiating.
Graveside services and burial will follow at 3:30 p.m. at Hollywood Cemetery in McComb under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. today and from noon until service time Saturday, both at the church.
Mr. Carlisle was born June 14, 1925, in McComb, the son of Jesse Edgar Carlisle and Ethel Floyd Carlisle. He was in the class of 1943 at McComb High School, but prior to graduation, joined the U.S. Navy. He served on two vessels, the S.S. Blackhawk and the USS Prentiss. His tour of duty included the European Theatre War and the Asiatic Pacific War. He was awarded several medals and honorably discharged from the Navy on March 20, 1946.
Mr. Carlisle enrolled at Southwest Mississippi Junior College after his discharge and enjoyed playing football for the Bears. He received a scholarship to continue his football career at Louisiana College but decided instead to marry his college sweetheart, Jessie Davis Holmes. They would have celebrated their 60th anniversary on Sept. 25, 2009. Mr. Carlisle spent the last seven years of his life visiting his wife every day possible at the nursing room where she suffers with Alzheimer’s.
Mr. Carlisle was a born salesman and began his sales career as a commercial salesman for Firestone Inc., in 1950, after working for two years at Illinois Central Railroad. His sales career took him to B.F. Goodrich and eventually back to Firestone where he became a store manager. In 1961 he became a partner at the Firestone Store in Columbia. He sold his interest in 1963 and moved his family to Natchez where he became the Texaco consignee. He owned and operated several Texaco stations as well. Mr. Carlisle left the oil and gas business in 1978 and went back to selling tires for Goodrich and Tire Centers, Inc. He won many sales awards for Top Salesman throughout his years in commercial sales.
Involvement in his community was very important to him. He began coaching Little League baseball in Columbia and continued working with Dixie Youth for many years in Natchez. He was a very active member of the Lions Club for many years and served as an officer in many capacities.
Mr. Carlisle was raised in a Christian home and was saved at a young age. He was baptized in 1933 at South McComb Baptist Church. He was an active member of Parkway Baptist Church in Natchez for the past 45 years. Mr. Carlisle was loyal to his church, his family and his God.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Jesse E. Carlisle; one niece, Ava Carlisle Roach; and one nephew, Maxie Taylor.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Martha Salters and husband, Bill, and Becky Wilson and husband, Kevin, all of Natchez; six granddaughters, Sydney Salters Magee and husband, Tony, Sarah Salters Loy and husband, Jeremy, Sunny Salters McGehee and husband, Casey, Jessie Geoghegan Harveston and husband, Lance, Mary Martha “Mattie” Geoghegan and Crystal Wilson; two grandsons, Chris Wilson and Zack Wilson; six great-grandchildren, Skyler and Mylie Magee, Will, Macy and Wesley Loy and Evan Wheeler; one brother, Loody Carlisle and wife, Shirley; two sisters, Maxine Phipps and Betty Dunaway; a number of nieces, nephews and friends; and longtime friend and caretaker, Patricia Fleming.
The family wishes to thank administrator Vanessa Houck and the entire staff at Adams County Nursing Center for the wonderful, loving care provided their father. They also want to thank Dr. Ken Stubbs and Dr. Ed Daly and the entire staff at Internal Medicine Associates and his “family” on Gary Circle.
Pallbearers will be grandsons and grandsons-in-law.
Honorary pallbearers will be Dalton and Johnny Bittle, Tommy and Bill Catchings, Gary Golden, Kenny Jackson, Bill Jones and Binky Vines.
Memorials may be made to Parkway Baptist Church Building Fund, the Natchez Humane Society, Alzheimer’s Association or a charity of choice.
Online condolences may be sent to www.lairdfh.com.