James R. Elliott
June 6, 1921 - September 21, 2002

Services for James R. Elliott, 81, of Lubbock will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at White Memorial Chapel in Lubbock with the Rev. Kermit Berry officiating.

Military graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery with the Rev. Kermit Berry officiating.

Arrangements are under the direction of White Funeral Home of Lubbock. James died Saturday, Sept. 21, 2002.

James R. Elliott was born June 6, 1921, in Brady. He graduated from Rankin High School and Texas Tech with a bachelor of science and a master of education. He married Nina M. Wilson in 1958 in Tripoli, Libya. He taught math, social studies and coached athletic teams in the Department of Defense Dependent Schools from August 1956 to June 1984 in Japan, England, Libya, France and Germany. His athletic teams won championships in football, boys and girls basketball, track, wrestling and golf. The athletic field at Wiesbaden High School was named in his honor.

Before his overseas career, he taught and coached in Lefors and Brownfield. He was a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and World WarII. Survivors include his wife; three sons, James Robert of Ellicott City, Md., George Alan and Lubbock and Michael Ray of Bedford; a daughter, Patricia Ruth Young of Bridgeport; three sisters, Opal Coleman of Lubbock, Roma Howard of Clyde and Ruth Warner of Monroe, La.; and four grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials to the American Overseas Schools of the Historical Society, Box 777, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340.

Originally Published in The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | 09/24/02

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A Tribute written by Nina Elliott for the AOSHS org:

Jim was born in Brady, TX, 6 June 1921, the third child of Ivan and Myrtle Elliott. He had two brothers and four sisters. He attended several elementary schools and began working at age eight after school, weekends and summers.

He worked on ranches and oilrigs during his teen years, but stayed in school, graduating from Rankin High School in 1940. He enrolled in Texas Tech University.

When World War II began, Jim joined the Coast Guard. He served in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and was scheduled to deploy to the Pacific when war ended. He was honorably discharged and returned to complete his studies at TTU, earning Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees.

He began his teaching and coaching career in Texas, first at Lefors then moving to Brownfield. In 1956 Jim accepted a position with DoDDS. His first assignment was the high school at Misawa AFB, Japan. He transferred the next year to Greenham Common, England, then spent one year at Wheelus AFB High School in Tripoli, Libya, and the following year at Chateauroux AFB High School in France. In 1960 he returned to Japan for three years at Narimasu High School, Tokyo.

He went back to Wheelus for another year and in 1964 transferred to General H. H. Arnold High School, Wiesbaden, Germany. He taught Physical Education and Math and coached interscholastic athletics each season at Wiesbaden until his retirement in 1984.

During his career he coached Football, Wrestling, Soccer, and both Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Track & Field, and Golf. His Chateauroux HS football team won the Com Z Championship, his Narimasu HS football team won the Far East Championship, his Wheelus basketball team won the International City Championship; and his teams and athletes at General H.H. Arnold in Wiesbaden won many Individual, District and European Championships.

The Stars & Stripes Newspaper awarded Jim “Coach of the Year” honors in 1971, 1977 and 1980. In 1985 the athletic field at Arnold HS in Wiesbaden was named ELLIOTT FIELD in his honor.

Jim married Nina in Tripoli and they have four children, who were born overseas and educated in the DoDDS system. Jim loved people and activity and made every effort to keep in touch with his friends and students. He died 21 September 2002 after a lingering illness following a stroke.

Prepared by Nina Elliott aka 'Mrs. James Elliott,' 2003 (RIP, Nina)


Originally published on the AOSHS website.