Jimmie Lee's Journey

"To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Jimmie Lee Murray was born on July 12, 1958 in Palestine, Texas to Myrtie Mae Baker and Rawley Murray.

At an early age, Jimmie accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and united with Providence Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. LittleJohn.  He served as President of the Junior Ushers and Choir, and attended Sunday School regularly.  He studied under and actively supported Rev. Fred K. C. Price of the Crenshaw Christian Center.  He retained his church membership at Providence and provided his financial support regularly.

Jimmie graduated from Palestine High School in 1976 where he participated in many activities.  He was both a scholar and an athlete.  He was inducted into the National Honor Society, lettered in football and competed in track.  During his senior year, he received the Hankla Memorial Award and the Texas Achievement Award Scholarship to attend the University of Texas at Austin where he majored in Petroleum Engineering.

Jimmie shared Arthur Baker's, his grandfather, principles and determined focus to 'get the job' done and do it in excellence.  Once hired, Jimmie's work ethic and attention to detail would be noticed and rewarded.  Before he graduated from high school (and for one year after his sophomore year in college), he worked at the NASA base in Palestine, Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.  This gave him an exposure to a higher level of science than he had learned in his college prep classes in high school. In Jimmie's early years of employment, he worked for a Circle K Convenience Store and Taco Bell. He became a trusted employee, advanced to trainer, managed inventory and purchasing, and improved workflow to adjust to the busiest times of day.  During his later work years, he was employed by Motorola, Inc. at the Semiconductor Components Group (now called Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.).   He made   microprocessors (computer processor on a chip) that power computers.

Jimmie was diagnosed with kidney disease after collapsing at work.  He always said he had the best kidney in the world "the iron kidney".  He was on dialysis for 12 years and 6 months.  He served as the patient advocate for the Dialysis center.  He helped new dialysis patients adjust and was often asked to talk to patients that did not understand the importance of regular dialysis.  He was active in fundraising for the National Kidney Foundation and participated in his dialysis center's annual fundraiser.

Jimmie enjoyed spending time with his family, all the major eating events were his most favorite.  He loved baseball, sci-fi, and debating all things.  He spent the summer of 2017 getting to know his grandson Delvin.  He was able to teach him a few things in this short period of time and made a huge impact on him.

Jimmie went home to be with his LORD and SAVIOR on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 in Austin, Texas.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Myrtie Baker and Rawley Murray, his grandparents, Arthur and Annie Mae Kelley Baker, and Samuel and Ophelia Murray; his aunts, Edna Johnson and Teresa Mae Temporal; his uncles, Lee Arthur and Sulden Baker; and his special great-aunt Gloria Kelley.

Jimmie leaves to cherish his memories:  his son, Delvin Robert Jones, Houston, TX; his chosen children Glenn "Bubba" Cathey (Eliza) and Tammie Latrice Brown, Austin, TX; his grand-son Delvin A'Lee Jones, Oakland, CA; his chosen-grandchildren Nikayla, Christopher Cathey, Jr and Brianna; his sisters Debra Dianne Murray, Missouri City, TX, Lynda Baker-Hills (Jeffery), Arlington, TX and the Murray siblings-especially Rachel Murray, Fresno, CA and Buddy Jo Murray, Tucker, TX; his nephew Jason Lynn Baker, Khobar, Saudi Arabia;  his uncle Alger Ben (Ruby) Baker, Sr., Plano, TX ; his aunts Lena Mae Hamilton, Dallas, TX, Manda Pearl Session, Port Arthur, TX, and Elnoria (George) Brown, Arlington, TX; and his Baker first cousins Alger Ben, Jr., Carnelia, Dosslin, Chris, Gregory, Gwen, Cyndi, Anthony, Larry, Sharon, George, Jr., and Nora LaFaye. A host of relatives, friends, and the staff at Satellite Healthcare Southwood  Dialysis Center.