Jim McInnis
Mayor James “Jim” McInnis passed away on Monday morning, the 26th of October, 2020. He was 85 years old.
Born Oct. 5, 1935, in Los Angeles, California, he was shortly after adopted by John and Pearl McInnis, his forever family.
He spent his childhood raised between Orange, California, and his grandparents’ ranch in Spicewood, Texas.
He began his service to the country in the US Army at age 22. Trained in military intelligence, he was assigned to Hawaii and Japan.
After his military service, he returned to San Bernardino, California, where he met his sweetheart, Corrinne, and his future wife of 60 years.
He worked for the telephone company as a lineman before returning to his studies at the University of Texas, Austin, graduating with a degree in Industrial Engineering and Business Management. He later continued his studies at Wayne State University graduating with a Masters in Psychology-Counseling.
Following his studies, he continued serving his country in 1965 and began working for the Central Intelligence Agency where he retired as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service and a hero of the Cold War in 1990. His career took him across the world living and working in places such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Germany, Iran, Turkey, China, Switzerland and host of other countries.
Retiring from Federal Service, he entered private sector working in the oil and gas and mining industries living and working in Colombia, Peru, Canada and Indonesia.
After more than 20 years of living and working in 96 nations outside the US, he finally retired to the Hill Country town of Hamilton, where he lived his remaining 24 years.
He was a gentle giant of a man. He was a friend to all and would often be found visiting and talking to friends and strangers alike. He provided career counseling to hundreds throughout his life and touched the lives and hearts of many that he came in contact with.
Elected Mayor of Hamilton in 2018, he believed in his community of Hamilton and had dreams and visions for a more beautiful and vibrant city improving the quality of life of its citizens.
Notwithstanding his age, he worked hard every day for the betterment of all that live here.
He also enjoyed his time dancing with the Pecan Creek Cloggers.
He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and had a firm testimony of the divinity of our Lord and Savior.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his grandson Aaron and his son Daniel.
He is survived by Corrinne Frey, his wife of 60 years; seven of his 7th-generation Texan children, Tom (Anne-Marie), Tim (Carolyn), David (Rebecca), Elham Williams (Jess), Poem Pitzer (James), Cimbria Peterson (Keith) and Michael; his 14 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; daughter-in-law Karen Kidd McInnis; and sister Donna Hamil.
He will be interred in the Veterans Cemetery in Killeen. Funeral details will be available at Riley Funeral Home.
Services for Mr. McInnis will be Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m. in the Riley Funeral Home Chapel in Hamilton.
