James Marcus “Jim” Wiggs

March 3, 1925 – June 19, 2019

James Marcus “Jim” Wiggs, Sr., 94, of Bainbridge Island passed away Wednesday June 19, 2019 at Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton with his loving son Jay at his side.

Jim was born in 1925 in Ripley, MS,; he was the son of Keith and Jesse (Childers) Wiggs. He grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Alamo Heights High School and immediately enlisted to serve in the military right after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Jim was a WWII Veteran who fought in 1st Marine Division in the South Pacific in The Battle of Guadalcanal. He was wounded and received the Purple Heart. After being wounded in Guadalcanal, Jim was reassigned to Ft. Ward on Bainbridge Island.

After the war, Jim returned to Texas and enrolled at Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University). During college, he met Charlotte Childress. They were married in August of 1949, after Jim graduated with a degree in Business. Jim joined his father-in-law in his life insurance company in Cameron, Texas. Jim and Charlotte made lifelong friends in Cameron with many couples, some of which followed them to Houston when Jim moved his family there in 1963. Jim continued selling life insurance as well as retirement plans in Houston. He became very successful in that endeavor, qualifying for the Million Dollar Round Table many years in succession.

He spent the majority of his free time fishing, crabbing and shrimping in Galveston Bay and rooting for the Houston Astros, Rockets and Oilers. In his final years, Jim moved to Bainbridge Island, WA, to be near his son, Jay.

Jim is preceded in death by his wife, Charlotte, his brother, Wayne and his wife Myrtle, his sister, Doris and her husband, Mac and his brother in law, George Childress, Jr. Jim is survived by his son, James M. Wiggs, Jr (Jay) and partner Lissa Bennett, his daughter, Lisa Wiggs McMinn, his son-in-law, Bruce McMinn, his grandchildren – Elizabeth Wiggs, Kelley Ann McMinn, Jordan McMinn and her fiance Mike Spiegel, Austin McMinn, his great granddaughter, Clara Wiggs-Maas and many nieces, nephews and their families.

Charlotte always said she married Jim because he was the funniest man she ever met.

Thank you for all the crazy, wild jokes and stories…you kept us laughing. What a precious gift!

Jim will be laid to rest with his wife privately in Texas.

Donations may be made in Jim’s memory to https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Arrangements are entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home.