James Allen Stoops – 1931 - 2021

James Allen Stoops, 89, of The Woodlands, Texas passed away on April 8 ^th .   He passed away peacefully surrounded by family.  James graduated with a bachelor's from Hanover College, served in the Marines during the Korean War and completed his Master of Business Administration from Indiana University.   He went on to work as a foreman at US Steel for two decades before moving to Indonesia to work for ARCO/BP.

He was a kind-hearted and dedicated husband, father and grandfather to a large family living around the world.  He always made time when in the states to visit family.  His go to restaurant was Red Lobster on 10 ^th and the bypass (Bloomington) as he loved their Bahama mamas, cheddar biscuits and coconut shrimp.  He loved cookouts, boating, swimming, camping, music, traveling around the world, watching movies, attending sporting events and reading his kindle.

Preceded in death by his parents J. Howard and Lucie Stoops, and sister Priscilla Ann Taylor.  He is survived by his beloved wife and partner of 40 years, Farida S.; his children and spouses, daughter Kathy and spouse Chuck, North Carolina; son, Robert and spouse Suzanne, Florida; son James and spouse Deyanira, Kansas; son Mark and spouse Kara, Indiana; daughter Tammy Joy and spouse Paul, Florida; son Fadli and spouse Emily, Indiana; son Ifrus and spouse Silvia, Peru; daughter Fita and spouse Aaron, Texas; daughter Siti and spouse Ade, Indonesia; his grandchildren and spouses, granddaughter Caitlin and spouse Jeremy, Ohio; grandson Bryan, North Carolina; granddaughter Leslie and spouse Greg, Texas, granddaughter Rebecca and spouse Evan, Indiana; grandson Mark and spouse Grace, North Carolina; granddaughters Chloe and Willow, Indiana; granddaughter Liliana, Indiana; grandson Evan, Indiana; granddaughter Shanti, Peru; grandson Lucas, Peru; grandson Aidan, Texas; granddaughter Arani, Texas; granddaughter Raphaella, Indonesia; grandson Khatami, Indonesia; his two brothers, Robert of Missouri and Howard of Pennsylvania and by many nieces and nephews.

Memories:

Daughter - Kathy

Dad's tales of his travels and adventures in the Marine Corps,  and his desire to continue traveling in his work and life are what inspired me to join the Army right out of high school and see the world for myself. I made the most of my time in the service, traveling in 3 continents, and I have been traveling ever since. As a matter of fact, all five of us Stoops siblings have a good helping of wanderlust, as well as our offspring, so thank you Dad for sharing your adventurous spirit with us. I'm only sad we missed out on traveling together once I became an adult. Looking forward to future adventures together in a better place. I love you Dad.

Son - Robert

My earliest childhood memories of dad were of his adventurous spirit, love of the outdoors, playing sports with me and my brothers, listening to Jazz music on his collection of old 45's, and last but not least, following his favorite Chicago sports teams, especially the Cubs.

Although my dad worked long hours, he always seemed to make time for fun activities like cookouts, boating, swimming, and camping. Among his many talents, dad was a master storyteller and some of my fondest memories were the ghost stories he would spin while sitting around a glowing campfire with all of us riveted to our seats. He was able to improvise those old stories, so you'd never be sure about the outcome, except that the real story always happened right in the location where you were staying, and he'd always jump up and grab you at the end making everybody scream.

Among his many attributes, and one that stood out, was his exceptional moral character that he exhibited during the racially charged 1960's when he was a strong supporter of social equality - not just in his words, but in his actions.  The most memorable example all those years ago, was that when he held the position of foreman at U.S. Steel, he was one of the very few who volunteered to train African American co-workers for supervisory positions. He also invited these same colleagues over to our house for cookouts, in an all-white neighborhood, during a time in history when this was not only unpopular, but potentially dangerous as well. I could just imagine what our neighbors were saying. Looking back on those times, I can now understand how much courage it took to make a stand for what he believed in.

It was my dad's strong guidance that helped me transition into adulthood and navigate all the pitfalls of growing up.  Through the years, I've realized that I've tried to emulate those qualities that my dad exemplified like a strong work ethic, and love of travel and adventure. But most important of all, the mindset that you're never too old to learn new things, go back to college, start a new career, find new hobbies, totally reinvent yourself, and to realize that it's never too late become a better person.  I'll strive to live as he lived and let my actions define who I am. And one last thing: Dad, I'm glad you finally got to see the Cubs win the World Series.

Brother – Bob

In the early 1940's the four siblings, Priscilla, Jim, Bud and Bob, made several visits to the well-known "Case Mansion" in Auburn NY on South St when it stood vacant, except for a caretaker.  The 36,000 square foot, 65 room mansion was not far from their home. To reach it they would climb over a 10-foot brick wall and through a broken window at the back of the building. There they had a great time exploring the mansion, playing hide and seek, and evading the caretaker by hiding in the walls of the mansion when they heard him approach. The most amazing thing the siblings remember was finding an inside pool in the basement that had a bathroom built into a revolving wall! They were never caught and discontinued their visits when the mansion was sold to the Carmelite Order for use as a monastery.

Brother Bob also remembers a certain incident when a beloved vase was broken. Their mother Lucie, a stern disciplinarian, called all four siblings together to ask which one of them broke the vase, smacking her palm with a belt while she questioned them. None of them ever confessed to the deed, and to this day it remains a mystery as to whom the culprit was! Bob also proudly admits that the three brothers played that they were in the Air Force during WWII by jumping off the roof of their garage and "flying" to the ground. Bob adds that he once saved the family from possible death by responding to the sound of their cat crying in the basement during dinner. While the rest of the family ignored the cry, Bob went down the stairs to check on their pet, only to find that their gas boiler was leaking and had already killed their dog. If not for his concern for the kitty, the whole family may have perished.

Brother – Bud

My brother Jim never hid in a bubble. He faced the challenges, won some and lost some. He found comrades and earned respect -- first on the football field and later as a state-side tank commander. He didn't appreciate my questioning his decisions, and when I didn't comply he was in the habit of inviting me 'out back' for a 'discussion' (I never took him up on that). I may not have liked playing second fiddle, but I learned from him. I carry around two memories from our high-school days of times when Jim complimented me. In one, a bunch of us were kicking footballs around on the street and I nonchalantly kicked one to myself, straight up in the air and back down into my arms, the football staying aloft a good 5 seconds. Jim gave me a rare look of respect and said I'd make a good team kicker!" In the second memory, a group of musicians, including Jim on clarinet and me on trombone were on stage entertaining an audience free-style, when I noticed that Jim was following my cues and ceding leadership to me.  Goodbye for now, Jim. I'll see you out back.