James Leon Harper

James Leon Harper was born on March 5, 1940 in Tulsa, OK to Cleo and Mary Florence (Weaver) Harper. James passed from this life on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at the age of 75.

James was a 1959 graduate of Webster High School and entered the military serving in the U.S. Navy as a “SeaBee” in Vietnam and after his Honorable Discharge, he later served in the U.S. Army and retired from the U. S. Army Reserve. James was a longtime employee of the City of Tulsa working as a heavy equipment operator.

His hobbies was railroads, model trains and target shooting. He was one of the founding members of the Sunbelt Railroad Museum, former member of the Green Country Model Railroad Association and the Single Action Shooting Society.

A proud moment in his life was when he was stationed in Pearl Harbor and was chosen for one week to raise the American flag over the U.S.S. Arizona before the memorial was built.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Sheila Darlene Harper and a brother, Robert L. Harper. He is survived by his wife, Wanda Delores Harper of the home and a son, Charles DeWayne Harper and his wife, Leeann of Tulsa; stepsons, Jon Paul Crawford and his wife, Tiffany and Jeffrey Lee Crawford and his wife Shannon; 9 step grandchildren and 3 step great-grandchildren all of Florida.