Sunrise: March 20, 1950 - Sunset: August 25, 2023

James Thomas Garris, Jr. passed away peacefully on August 25, 2023 at his home in Hampton, VA. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. James was affectionately known as ‘June-bug’ (a common nickname for ‘Junior’) by his friends and family. Born on March 20, 1950 in Hampton, Virginia, James was the eldest of four children born to James Thomas Garris, Sr. and Laura Williams Garris. He grew up in the Phoebus area of Hampton and attended Hampton City Schools. 

James joined the United States Army in April, 1970 serving as paratrooper in the Vietnam War. He often mentioned his 70 jumps from United States aircrafts during his service and received the National Defense Service Medal and Parachute Badge. After an Honorable Discharge, James settled in New York City where he began his career at the New York City Veteran Administration Medical Center as a Pharmacy Technician. 

In 1976, James married his high school sweetheart in Harlem, P. Kim Mitchell (Garris-Williams) and to that union was born one daughter, Tifani LaToya. James remained in New York all of his adult life and became a true New Yorker through and through. The City was an exciting place - James loved the music, the fashion and the streets of Harlem. He was an immaculate dresser - never wearing jeans or tennis shoes and kept his home, however humble, always spotless. He was the epitome of the phrase ‘if ‘cleaner than the board of health’ were a person. James eventually slowed down, relocated to Upstate New York and retired from the VA Hudson Valley Health Care Center.

June-bug returned to Hampton in 2018 when his mother passed away and lived out his remaining years. He loved spending time with “Strawberry” as he affectionately called his youngest granddaughter, Gisel. They enjoyed dance parties together and driving her first set of wheels around the neighborhood. James spent his time performing odd jobs and maintaining lawns for friends and family members. He was an avid chess player and occasionally kicked back to watch old gangster movies and Westerns. Numbers stuck in his head like glue - birthdates, license plates, house numbers - he was always looking for signs of what combinations to play in the lottery. James had a contagious personality, loved people, was the life of the party and never met a stranger.

James is survived by his son, Mark Jamison Etheridge, of Raleigh, NC, daughter, Tifani LaToya Garris (Keith) of Hampton, VA., sister, Barbara Stokes (Leon), Newport News, VA, two brothers, Meredith Garris (Cathy) of Jacksonville, FL., and Patrick Leon Garris Sr. of Richmond, VA., a very special aunt, Lizzie ‘Dune’ Chamblee, and special cousin, LaCreatia Scott, both of Hampton, VA., two granddaughters, Anya Etheridge of Raleigh NC, and Gisel Aris Lee Giles of Hampton, VA, as well as his loving nieces, nephews, cousins, beloved companion Loki, and all the lives he touched. 

Services are entrusted to Presidential Funeral Services, Portsmouth, VA.  Military Ceremonial Tribute and inurnment at the Robert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Cemetery, Suffolk, VA.