James Huntley Cummins

James Huntley Cummins of Spring, TX passed away on Saturday August 18 at 64 years of age after a long and difficult battle with cancer. He was born on September 5, 1947 to Colonel and Mrs. T. J. Cummins in Newport News, VA. His parents were both from Montana – his father from Butte and his mother from a small ranch close to the Canadian border. His uncle on his mother's side was Chet Huntley, the noted NBC news anchor and co-host of the popular “Huntley-Brinkley Report.” As he grew up he moved with his Air Force family from one base to another, developing a sense of adventure and an ability to adapt to virtually any kind of situation. His father played professional baseball before WW II and his mother played basketball at Montana State College, and he emulated them by excelling in sports in high school and college. He graduated from Fairborn High School in Ohio were he starred in football, basketball, and baseball. He went to Defiance College in Ohio where he set records as a punishing defensive back. When it became apparent he was to be drafted, he enlisted in the US Army, serving in military intelligence and criminal investigation in the US, Europe, and Asia, rising to the rank of Warrant Officer. He completed his BS degree at South Dakota State University while still in the Army, then went on to civilian law enforcement work as a probation officer and deputy sheriff in Eagle, Colorado. For a brief time he served as mayor of Gypsum, CO in 1980. Shortly afterwards he began working in the field of industrial security with several Fortune 500 corporations, including American Express where he was the Global Vice-President for Security, Medtronics, and finally Air Liquide USA in Houston where he worked almost to the time of his death. During a business trip to Brazil he met his wife Vera and they were married on August 18, 1996. He is survived by her and their three children, sons Chet and Tristram, and daughter Alexis, all of Spring, TX. He is also survived by sons Travis, Robert, Brandon and daughter Tatiana, all living in the Denver, CO area, three grandsons, Lorenzo and Matteo Rotundo, and Ethan Cummins, and one granddaughter, Sophia Cummins. He is also leaves behind an older brother Gary, of Port Townsend, WA. Jim Cummins was known and admired for his strong work ethic, ability to make friends easily, and love of his family. He loved sports, especially those his children participated in and was a force to be reckoned with on the golf links. He loved life and lived it to the fullest. He was a certified SCUBA diver, flew helicopters, and held a private pilot's license. His mischievous sense of humor, infectious laugh and broad smile will be missed by all who knew him. The Addison family and staff extend our heartfelt condolences to the Cummins family in their time of loss.

James Huntley Cummins

August 18, 2012