James Lee Gribble, 84, died Saturday, September 24, 2016, in his home in Yuma, Arizona, surrounded by his loving family. He was born November 30, 1931, in Morgantown, West Virginia, the son of John and Irene (Church) Gribble. He graduated from Morgantown High School in 1949 and attended the University of West Virginia, the University of Arizona, the University of Texas, and Orange Coast Community College.

Jim served in the U.S. Air Force from 1950 to 1953, attaining the rank of Airman First Class. Following his honorable discharge, he worked on his father-in-law's farm for two years, and then he began his career with the Immigration and Naturalization Service as a Border Patrol agent, rising to the position of Assistant Regional Commander of the INS Western Region. He retired in 1981 after a combined military and civil service career of 31 years. Jim was a deeply devoted man of faith, and since 1970, he served his Lord as a deacon and a Sunday school teacher for churches in Maryland, Arizona, Texas, and California.

While stationed at Roswell Air Base in New Mexico, Jim met and fell in love with his beautiful wife, Marie (Hatchett), in Ruidoso, New Mexico, where she was working at Eastern New Mexico University. They were married August 5, 1953, and, together, they began a life of travel to various INS postings, including Douglas, Gila Bend, and Yuma, Arizona, as well as New Orleans, Louisiana; Baltimore, Maryland; Dallas, Texas; and San Pedro, California. After he retired, Jim and Marie spent the next 35 years, living in Yuma in the wintertime and their mountain home in Greer, Arizona, in the summertime. They also enjoyed traveling around the southwest region of the United States, visiting various, and sometimes unique out-of-the-way, points of interest.

Jim is survived by Marie, his beloved wife of 63 years, two daughters, Teresa Gribble and Linda (Ken) Whitson, and son, James (Ricki) L. Gribble II, all of Yuma, Arizona. Jim is also survived by seven grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate the life of James Lee Gribble at Immanuel Southern Baptist Church, 1000 E. 24th St., Yuma, at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 29, 2016.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be donated to Gideons International, https://www2.gideons.org/donate.