JAMES VERNON GLAZENER, JR.

Born February 9, 1927, passed away April 24, 2022 at the age of 95.

James, also affectionately known as Jim, Daddy, and Pawpaw, was born in Holland, Texas at home on the family ranch to James Vernon Glazener, Sr and Vivian Moss Glazener. He was their first-born child. Over the years he was raised on the Ma and Pa Ferguson ranch and the Premier Ranch where his father worked as the ranch foreman. While living on the Premier Ranch, he rode his black and white pony or rode in a buggy to attend the small one-room school in Doss.

After graduating high school in Houston, he immediately joined the US Navy as WWII was in full swing. He served on two destroyers in the Pacific under Admiral Nimitz and trained in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska for the prepared attack and invasion of Japan. Then the atomic bombing of Japan ended the war.

Jim returned to Texas and entered SW Texas Teacher's College and graduated in 1950 with a business degree. He went to work at American National Insurance Company in Galveston, where he soon met Gloria Joy Hightower. They were married June 20, 1952. Their first child was born in 1953 was followed by their second in 1954 and their last in 1955.

For the next few years he worked as a car salesman in Texas City, Texas. In 1960, he attended the Border Patrol Academy after moving his family to Las Cruses, New Mexico. He then became a US Customs agent and moved the family to Laredo, Texas. After a transfer to the Houston office, the family relocated to Pearland, Texas in 1969. He continued his career there as a Customs agent, but also worked as an undercover Sky Marshall. In 1972 he, Joy and their two youngest children moved to Vermont where he became the first DEA agent in that state. In 1975 he and Joy, now empty-nesters, moved to McAllen, Texas where he continued with the DEA until his retirement in 1981.

He and Joy moved to Fredericksburg 1992.They enjoyed many ''antiquing'' trips to New England, mainly Vermont and New Hampshire, where they were able to enjoy visits with their daughter and grandsons living there. While living in Fredericksburg, Jim enjoyed working for the Visitor's Center, Fort Martin Scott as a tour guide and also doing the same at the Nimitz Museum. Jim never walked past Admiral Nimitz's statue in the front without stopping and snapping a brisk salute. He thoroughly enjoyed the Island Assault reenactments and worked at that part of the museum for  several years. Just two months ago he was taken to watch a reenactment there and he was the only WWII veteran sitting on the row of honor. He was introduced and received a standing ovation which made him very proud. He also flew on one of the Honor Flights out of San Antonio several years ago and spent 3 days touring many sites and memorials in Washington, DC. On his trip, he was one of four chosen to lay the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier that day and that also made him proud. He was an active member of the Fredericksburg Archery Club. He hunted elk in Colorado several years, and although he was never able to bag an elk, he so looked forward to these trips that he started planning and packing for the next one the very minute he got back. He enjoyed the camaraderie there with his old friends and his son.

Jim was proceeded in death by Joy in 2014, his grandson, Adam Embury, also in 2014, his parents, two sisters. Doris and Darla, and numerous other family members and friends.

He is survived by his children Shelley Glazener Weaver of Fredericksburg, Robbin Glazener Embury of Burnet, and James Scott Glazener and wife Kelly of Germany. He is survived by a sister, Wilma, of California and a brother, Jerry, of Houston. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren (with another on the way), and six great-great-grandchildren (with another on the way).

Services will be held as follows...Saturday, April 30, 2022 at the Fredericksburg  United Methodist Church on Llano there will be a viewing at 9:30am followed by services in the sanctuary at 10:00. Graveside services will follow across the street in Greenwood Cemetery, where he will be buried with full military honors. All are invited to then return to the church for a luncheon of BBQ, drinks and desserts.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations in Jim's name to the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, The Hill Country Memorial Hospice, National Museum of the Pacific War Reenactment, or the local SPCA in your area.