James Andrew Whittenburg III

James Andrew "Jimmie" Whittenburg, III-rancher, banker, cattle raiser, oil & gas entrepreneur, aviator and Special Texas Ranger-passed away peacefully on December 6, 2016 at his home in Dallas, TX, with his wife, children and grandchildren at his side. He was 83 years old. Jimmie was born on January 14, 1933 in Amarillo, TX, the second of three children, and only son, to James Andrew Whittenburg, Jr. and Catharine Coble Whittenburg. His parents were both from prominent pioneer ranching families who had established themselves in the Texas Panhandle around the time of the Civil War. He attended Bivins Elementary School, Elizabeth Nixon Junior High School and Amarillo High School, though he obtained the majority of his education by actively operating his family's ranches in the Texas Panhandle and later New Mexico. Jimmie met Kathryn Jeanne Price of Stratford, TX in the spring of 1951. They were married on December 7, 1952 in Portales, NM. Jeanne Price was born on August 25, 1953; Lelah Elizabeth "Liz" was born on October 24, 1954; James Andrew "Jim or Jimbo" was born on October 21, 1955; Catharine Coble "C.C." was born on December 15, 1956 and Leslie Sommer arrived 8 years later on April 3, 1965. He and Jeanne enjoyed 42 exuberant years of marriage until she tragically passed away in 1995, when a helicopter that Jimmie was piloting encountered severe turbulence and crashed. He was gravely injured, but miraculously survived. In the summer of 1999, he became reacquainted with Katsy Mullendore of the Cross Bell Ranch in Osage and Washington Counties of Oklahoma. They were married on September 14, 2002 at the Sapello Ranch in New Mexico. Jimmie acquired his intimate and comprehensive understanding of the ranching and cattle business from his father, mother and grandparents at the Turkey Track Ranch in the Texas Panhandle. He later purchased and operated ranches in the Panhandle, New Mexico (the Double O Bar, Sapello and the TO Ranch) and Cuatrociénegas, Mexico. From the mid-1950s on, he advanced and proliferated his diversified ranching, oil and gas, aviation and investment interests through farming, feedlots, raising cattle, real estate, banking, insurance, and a hotel venture (Hotel Cabo San Lucas). He and Katsy loved travelling and particularly enjoyed entertaining family and friends at their home in Pebble Beach, CA. From the 1970s through the early 2000s, he was a director of the American National Bank, Fort Worth National Bank Holding Company, Mid-Continent Life Insurance Company, National Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center, National Cattlemen's Association, New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, National Finance Credit Corporation / Texas Livestock Marketing Association, Panhandle Plains Historical Society, Special Texas Rangers Commission, Texas Cattle Feeder's Association, Missouri Beef Packers (later MBPXL), Texas Organized Crime Prevention Council, appointed commissioner of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and was an organizing member of the Texas Land & Mineral Owners Association (TMLA). In the 1970s and early 80s, he served on the boards of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas' War on Drugs Committee, St. Anthony's Hospital and Amarillo Globe-News. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanne Price Whittenburg, his son James Andrew "Jim or Jimbo" Whittenburg IV, and by his sister, Catharine Coble Whittenburg McAnally. His surviving relatives: his wife, Katsy Whittenburg of Dallas; his four daughters and their husbands Jeanne Latimer (Bob), Liz Redwine (Ras V), C.C. Armstrong (Stewart) and Leslie el-Effendi (Wicky); his sister Francie Whittenburg; his fourteen grandchildren Catharine Whittenburg Vexler, James Andrew "J." Whittenburg V, Price Latimer, Ras Redwine VI, Robert Weber "Roby" Latimer Jr., Coble Armstrong Jorgensen, Elizabeth Redwine Brenner, Stewart Larkin Armstrong, Mia Armstrong Brous, Sarah Latimer Hager, Alexandra Latimer Baldwin, Adham Hissam el-Effendi, Leslie Forrest el-Effendi and Elizabeth "Elli" Jeanne el-Effendi; by his step-children, numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and soon-to-be fourteen great-grandchildren.