Jim Alden Kornegay, Jr. (Jim) of Fairview, Texas passed away on December 6, 2019. He was born in Corpus Christi, Texas on January 30, 1932 to James A. Kornegay, Sr. and Doris Taylor.
Jim grew up in North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War aboard the USS Midway.
After his military service, he went to work for Petty Geophysical Company on an exploration team in Central America, Panama, and Colombia. In Panama, he met the love of his life, Cecilia Bonilla. They were married on December 18, 1959 in Panama City, Panama and moved to Bogota, Colombia where their son was born. They later moved to the United States and their daughter was born in Corpus Christi. After a stint in Houston, they made their home in the Dallas area where they reared their children. Jim continued his career as a geophysicist with Sinclair Oil Company, Atlantic Richfield Company and finally, ARCO Oil and Gas where he was a Director at their research facility in Plano, Texas. He travelled extensively to Alaska, Colorado and California. He especially enjoyed his time in Alaska during the discovery of the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field and the building of the Alaskan Pipeline. After his retirement in 1986, he enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his four grandchildren.
During his free time, he was involved in politics, enjoyed travelling, barbequing, baking bread, and gardening. After moving to Allen, Texas he was involved with St. Jude Catholic Church as Extraordinary Minister and with the children’s liturgy program.
He is survived by his wife, Cecilia Kornegay of Fairview, Texas; daughter, Diane Bounds and husband, Brian of Friendswood, Texas; daughter-in-law, Chris Kornegay of Allen, Texas; four grandchildren, Jonathan Bounds of Houston, Texas, Audrey Bounds of Nashville, Tennessee, Ryan Kornegay of Addison, Texas, and Anthony Kornegay of Dallas, Texas; sister, Margaret Ann Crow of Greenville, South Carolina; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, James A. Kornegay, Sr. and Doris Kornegay and his son, James Alden Kornegay, III (Jim).
A mass of christian burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at St. Jude Catholic Church in Allen, Texas. Inurnment will follow at St. Jude Catholic Church. The family will receive friends during a visitation on Monday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a rosary service beginning 7:00 p.m. at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to St. Jude Catholic Church or the Alzheimer's Foundation in the memory of James Kornegay, Jr.