Mrs. James, 74, of Hampton, Va., formerly of Englishtown, died Dec. 9, 2007, at Riverside Regional Convalescent Center, Newport News, Va. She was born in Newport News and had resided in Englishtown from 1977 to 1985. Mrs. James was a 1956 graduate of Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), Hampton. She had worked as a transportation specialist at Fort Eustis military base in Virginia, where she met her husband. While living in Englishtown, she worked as a substitute teacher in the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District and had also been active in a program serving the children of migrant farm workers in Monmouth County. During her husband’s military career, she was selected as Military Wife of the Year for the Military Traffic Management Command’s (MTMC) Eastern Area headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was an active member of St. James A.M.E. Zion Church in Matawan and Greater Walters A.M.E. Zion Church (formerly GreaterWalters Temple) in Newport News, where she had served as church secretary, a tutorial program volunteer and a class leader.Mrs. James was predeceased by two brothers, Curlester and Edward. Surviving are her husband of 50 years, John; a daughter and son-in-law, Yolanda and Mario; three sons and two daughters-in-law, John and Denise, David and Katherine, and Darryl; six siblings and four spouses, Queen, Caesar and Josephine, Zella and John, Norman and Sandra,Aretha, and Harl and Debra; 14 grandchildren; and many close friends and other relatives. Funeral services were held at Greater Walters A.M.E. Zion Church, with the Rev. Dr. Kenneth W. Arrington officiating. Interment followed at Albert G. Horton Jr. Veterans Cemetery, Suffolk, Va. Cooke Bros. Funeral Chapel, Newport News, was in charge of arrangements. Memorial donations may be made to the GreaterWalters A.M.E. Zion Church Scholarship Fund, 656 28th St., Newport News, VA 23607.
