James E. (Jim) Garrett, age 74, of Austin, passed away on Monday, September 17, 2012. Jim was born on August 19, 1938 in Pasadena, Texas to James F. and Edith Sheppard Garrett. He and his sister, Vicki, grew up in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Milby High School in 1956. Next, he attended the University of Texas in Austin for two and a half years before enlisting in the Air Force. He went through Aviation Cadet Training in Harlingen, Texas, was awarded his Navigator's wings, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon completion of training there. He married Linda K. Barron in 1962, and they had two daughters.

After further training at four more Air Force bases, he arrived at Bergstrom Air Force Base in late 1963; and was assigned as an Electronic Warfare Officer on a B-52 Combat Crew. His Bomb Squadron was eventually transferred to an Air Force base in Southern California early during the Vietnam involvement era. He worked as a Logistics Plans Officer in Guam before returning to California; and he subsequently traveled with his family to bases in Spain and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before deciding to separate from military service and return to Austin to start a new career in the up and coming computer software field. Jim retired as a Programmer/Analyst from a long second career at the Texas Railroad Commission. He had planned to get heavily involved in astronomy for his third career; but eventually decided the late-night solitude of star gazing did not fit his outgoing personality. He then began his next career as an Amateur Ballroom Dancer by taking lessons at the Austin Arthur Murray Dance Studio. He was able to travel and participate in many dance competitions from the east to west coasts of the United States during his ten plus years of dancing. His dancing friends were his second family. His church family at University United Methodist Church was also an integral part of his life.

Jim is survived by two daughters, Anieca Frederick and Susan Thomas of Arlington, TX; his sister, Victoria McConnell of Pasadena, TX; three grandchildren, Michael Thomas, Megan Thomas, and Jessica Harrington; great-grandson Austin Frederick; niece Valerie Thedford; nephew, James Slaughter and many other family members. He is predeceased by his parents and grandson Jason Randall Frederick.

Services will be held at 10:00am, Friday, September 21st at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, North Lamar, followed by interment at Austin Memorial Park. Visitation Thursday from 6:00-8:00pm at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to University United Methodist Church or American Cancer Society.