James B. Hulsey

It is with very heavy hearts that we share that James (Jim) Hulsey passed away at his home in Las Cruces on March 14th, 2025 at the age of 85.

James was born into a very meager life in the Texas Panhandle near the end of the Great Depression. While James started out very poor in money, he was extremely rich in family. He spent his formative years helping his uncles on his grandmother’s family farm. This experience was the foundation of his lifelong love of family, an impeccable work ethic, and a life-long devotion to thrifty habits.

Through hard work in school and the help of his family, James was able to attend college at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, NM where he met the first love of his life, Sherrell Grimes. They were married in 1959 and shortly welcomed their son, Randy, into the world. Unfortunately, like many young relationships, this one flamed out fairly quickly (the first time!). James continued school and graduated in 1962 and accepted a job with the NMSU Physical Science Laboratory (PSL) in Las Cruces where he spent the next 63 years (~37 years with PSL).

It was during these early years in Las Cruces that he met the second love of his life, Joy Wakefield. They married in 1966 and welcomed a daughter, Mindy, into the family a couple of years later. James and Joy were happily married for 37 years until he lost Joy to a long illness in 2003.

In 2005, James repeated history by falling in love for the final time with his first love, Sherrell. This time the magic took, and they remained together until his death.

James was an avid fly fisherman, pheasant and quail hunter, and a consummate southwestern history buff. He loved to visit little-known historic sites and never missed an opportunity to teach a neophyte how the West was really won. A road trip with James was rife with historical nuggets about even the smallest of widespots!

James was preceded in death by his second wife, Joy; parents, Ola and J.B.; sister, Patsy; and great-grandson, Micah. He is survived by his best friend and first love, Sherrell; children, Randy and Mindy; brother, Edward; grandchildren, Brian and Caitlin; great-grandchild; Aidan.

Services for James will be held at Getz Funeral Home Chapel beginning  at 2:30pm on Wednesday, March 26th  followed by Funeral Service at 3:45 pm. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the charity of your choice in memory of James.