Obituary of James Dale Pope

James Dale Pope March 21, 1936 - March 6, 2025 James Pope passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2025 in Las Cruces, NM. He was born March 21, 1936 in Lubbock, TX to Vera O. Hacker Pope and J.O. (Bill) Pope. He was raised in Lubbock and graduated from Lubbock High School in 1955. James met the love of his life, LaVerne Greer, in high school and they married Aug. 6, 1954 in Portales, NM. They lived in Lubbock for several years before moving to Abernathy, TX in 1964. Together, they lovingly raised three children and taught them to be strong, independent and responsible people. James worked at Pope’s Parts Place in Abernathy for many years. He became an air traffic controller in 1967 and retired from the Federal Aviation Agency in 2002. He owned and built several airplanes through the years and enjoyed flying. James was a deacon at First Baptist Church in Abernathy and served the church in various ways. Throughout his life James retained several good friendships from high school. During his retirement he spent time traveling each year with these friends and enjoying their company. James also began a new passion for golf in his retirement and enjoyed playing any chance he had. As his children grew and had families of their own, he thrived as a grandfather and spent as much time with his three grandchildren as possible. As an enthusiastic fan of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, James was thrilled to welcome his granddaughters to Lubbock during their time as Tech students. Similarly to his own children, he encouraged his grandchildren to be strong and independent and supported them unconditionally. He was thrilled to be a great-grandfather in his later years. He was preceded in death by his wife, LaVerne Pope; son, Mark Pope; and sons-in-law, Tim Bea and Eddy Hogge. He is survived by his daughters, Jana Pope and Dale Bea, both of Las Cruces, NM; three grandchildren, Caitlin Hogge of Keller, TX; Jamie Omelanczuk and husband, Michael of Lake Forest, CA; and Aidan Bea of San Marcos, TX; and two great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Life for James is scheduled April 15 at 2:00 p.m. at First Christian Church, 2323 Broadway, Lubbock, TX 79401. James will be laid to rest beside his wife, LaVerne, in a private burial service. The family suggests the consideration of a donation to one of James’ favorite charities or churches: The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, First Christian Church of Lubbock or First Baptist Church of Abernathy.