Notice regarding Coronavirus...Read More

Plan Ahead

Willingham, James "Mike" M.

November 20, 1948 –
 August 16, 2014

Obituary

Mike was born to Wes and Betty Jo Willingham on November 20, 1948 in Paris Texas.  He passed away on August 16, 2014 in Dallas, TX.

Mike graduated from Paris High School in 1966, and attended Paris Jr. College and Texas A&M.  Mike was very patriotic and proud of his country; he served in the National Guard for six years.  After college Mike enjoyed his primary occupation: serving as Sheet Metal Engineer for several companies; working in Atlanta, GA, Pryor, OK, and Dallas, TX.  However, for the last 13 years he experienced a great deal of travel in the Metroplex, working as a courier.

Outside of work, Mike enjoyed many fandoms and hobbies.  He loved music, specifically country and rock’n’roll. He very proudly cheered on his local teams- the Aggies, Rangers, and Cowboys.  His absolute favorite Dallas Cowboy was the famous, “Dandy Don” Meredith.

When he wasn’t watching sports he enjoyed challenging his brain with puzzles, trivia, and museums. Watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune were a favorite pastime, and he loved to play along.  His love of learning didn’t end with TV- he enjoyed spending many hours at the new Perot Museum of Science and Nature and Science.  Puzzles were another favorite of his-math puzzles like Sudoku and KenKen, as well as crosswords.   Maybe not as scientific but just as fun, he enjoyed betting on the “ponies”, and basically anything else that could be wagered.

Mike is survived by his wife of 22 years and 3 months & best friend for over 24 years, Pamela Willingham of Dallas, TX; sister and brother-in-law, Kay and David Hinds of Forney, Texas; sister and brother-in-law, Joy and Jerry Wade, of Azle, TX; brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Terri Willingham, of Dublin, TX; brothers-in-laws, Ed Daniels and Blynn Breton, of Ion, CA; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Susan and Randy Snider, of Vallejo, CA; many nieces and nephews; and many great-nieces and great-nephews.

A memorial service will be at 1PM on Friday August 22, 2014 at Aria Preston Chapel, 19310 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75252. A Celebration of Life will be held at Richardson Bar & Grill immediately following services 1411 East Campbell Road #101 Richardson, TX 75081 972-437-6216.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in Mike’s honor be made to VITAS Hospice, 8585 North Stemmons Fwy., Suite 200 South Tower Dallas, TX 75247 214.424.5600, or a favorite hospice organization of your choice.

Gig ’em Mike!

Arrangements are under the direction of:
ARIA Cremation Service & Funeral Home
10116 E. NW Highway
Dallas, Texas 75238
214.340.8008

    becky johnson
    19 Aug 2014
    1:36pm

    Pam, my heart is breaking for you. I was so sorry to hear about Mike’s passing. I will keep you in my thoughts & prayers. If you need anything at all, please let me know. Becky Johnson

    Roma Dixon
    20 Aug 2014
    10:33am

    Pam, Marc and I are so sorry to hear about Mike. He was such a great person. We had many good times with the 2 of you.

    Anne Crain
    20 Aug 2014
    10:37am

    Pam, Mikabee will be missed by you and so many. I’ll never forget all the good times the 4 of us shared and how the two of you have been here for me the past 6 years. Love you, Annabee
    Gig’em Mike

    ernestine whipple
    20 Aug 2014
    2:30pm

    Pam, my thoughts and prayers have been with you and the Willingham for the last several weeks. Only the Lord can heal your broken heart and in time He will. Give my love to Kay, Joye and Joe I love you all. Ernestine Whipple

    BN28ue

    Dick Moore
    21 Aug 2014
    7:58am

    To the families – I am deeply saddened to hear of Mike’s death. There was no better man or friend.
    You are in my thoughts and prayers. The Class of ’66 lost a great one. Dick(ie) Moore

    Cousin Charlie Ayres and Diane DeWitt
    21 Aug 2014
    5:59pm

    Pam, I am so very sorry for your loss. Mike was such a good man and a great friend, he will definitely be missed by so many. Love and Sincerely, Cousin Charlie Ayres

Leave A Condolence

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Testimonials

R. Driver
Read More
"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
Read More
"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
Read More
"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
Read More
"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
Read More
"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
Read More
"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
Read More
"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
Read More
"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
Previous
Next

Get In Touch

Locations

Immediate Attention

Contact Us

Preston Road

“George Bush at Preston”

Aria - Northwest Highway

“5 Miles East of Hillcrest Memorial Park / Lake Highlands”

Funeral Homes Irving Tx: Aria Cremation

“Belt Line Road at 183”

Fannin Memorial Gardens

Veterans Funeral Services

Darst Funeral Home

Search Obituaries

Search

Important Information

  1. If death has occurred and or is imminent, please call the Aria location nearest you.

    PRESTON ROAD
    214.306.6700

    NORTHWEST HIGHWAY
    214.340.8008

    BELTLINE ROAD
    972.607.4400

  2. Click here to Download the Cremation Forms.
  3. Have the cremation authorization form notarized
  4. Fax the forms back to us at:
    • NW Highway
      214-340-8009
    • Preston Rd.
      972-526-7410
    • Belt Line Rd.
      972-573-1008
 

Additional Information