of Benton, AR

July 4, 1948 - July 12, 2022

James Michael Hester was born in Missoula, Montana to James E. and Kyle Cloud Hester on July 4, 1948.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Gary Benson Hester and his father, James Hester. He is survived by his mother, Kyle Hester and numerous cousins.
His first four years were spent in Missoula while his father attended the University of Montana. When his dad went to work for Dierks Paper Company, the family moved into a forestry unit located between Kirby and Daisy, Arkansas. Jimmy went to school at Kirby his first four grades. He liked to roam around the forestry unit with a black labrador retriever named Chip. He also enjoyed spending time in a boat on the lake at Daisy with his family and relatives, who seemed to visit a lot. There were a lot of picnics and swimming. The family was transferred to Pine Bluff and he spent the remainder of his elementary and high school years at Edgewood Elementary and Watson Chapel High School. He graduated as an honor student and valedictorian of his senior class. As a senior, he wrote an article for the Pine Bluff Commercial. He was a member of the track team, played on a softball team and developed a love for golf. He had a small motor bike, which he would ride back and forth to Rosewood Country Club, to play golf and practice. He and his dad spent many hours together pursuing this hobby of theirs.
During Jimmy's senior year, he and a friend, spent many nights making a robot that could speak for a science fair project. He attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, majoring in physics. He was a Razorback fan from the beginning. Jimmy roomed in a dorm his first year, tutored a student for room rent that year and ended up in a large house with some other students (they ate a lot of bologna). He graduated Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society.
As a geo physicist, Jimmy worked for Texaco out of their Houston, New Orleans and Florida offices. His love of golf continued and he went to see all the professionals play who came to the locations where he was teeing. He was hit at a game by a golfer and the golfer gave him the ball. Most days you would find him on a golf course after work.
Since his car accident and disability retirement, Jimmy made his home in Little Rock. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Benton, Arkansas, and the pastor's Sunday School class.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 19, 2022, from 12:00 to 1:00 P.M. at Roller-Alcoa Funeral Home, 6700 Alcoa Rd., Benton, Arkansas. Funeral services to be held at 1:00 PM Tuesday, at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, Benton Arkansas.

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