Paul William James was born February 28, 1936, in Brinkley, Arkansas to William and Sally James. Paul had five siblings, four proceeded him in death, Floyd James, Wilma Burkhalter, Almeature Terrell, Gladys Lincoln, and one to mourn his death, Cecelia Smith. As a young man, Paul professed Christ as his Lord and Savior.

In his 20s, Paul moved to Ohio during the early 1950s. He had two previous marriages until he married Angela James which he shared 20 years. Later in life, Paul enjoyed a long-time companionship with Barbara Hammond.

Paul’s first job was with Ohio Crankshaft. He took pride in learning a new trade that added to his collective skills and gave him a lifetime trade providing a foundation which led to him becoming an entrepreneur. His next career move was in transportation with Central Transport. It would become a passion that lasted decades. As a truck driver, he would visit scenic locals by driving across this beautiful country of ours. This gave him a sense of belonging and completeness only a chosen few can understand and enjoy. With those collective skills he had obtained, Paul ventured into his dream job as owner and CEO of Paul. W. James Trucking.

Over the years, Paul accomplished other major milestones, such as owning a fleet of Cadillacs (Oh, how he loved his cars), to being a homeowner 10 times over, building a house with his own hands from the ground up, and embarking on entrepreneurial ventures such as owning a gas station with his brother Floyd, to owning a transportation stop. He loved country living, enjoyed fishing, and went out to the movie theater (he was a James Bond enthusiast). Paul won many bowling tournaments and remained an avid bowler well into his last years of life.

A man of distinction, he was a Freemason fraternal member for many years, and was always the life of the party, loved to dance, and would “cut a step” for any reason. He was a man of faith, always praising and giving God the glory for His mercy and grace.

Paul leaves to cherish his life and memory his children, Ann, Junior, Renee, Carla, Eric, Arron(Sandy), 19 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild, along with a host of family and friends.