Mass of Christian burial for John James (Jimmy) Nolan , 96, of Marshall, Texas, will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 17, 2012, at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Father Denzil Vithanage officiating. Visitation will be held at 6 PM at the chapel at Downs Funeral Home in Marshall, followed by a rosary service at 7:00 PM led by Father Denzil. Mr. Nolan, known as "Jimmy" to family and friends departed his earthly life to join the Lord in heaven at approximately 10:30 PM on August 13, 2012, surrounded by his loving wife, four daughters and their families. He was born March 25, 1916, to Simon Edward Nolan and Alice O'Donnell Nolan in Longview, Texas. He enjoyed growing up with his look-alike sister Mary Alice who was less than eleven months his senior, and many people mistook them for twins. He attended Lanieri Catholic High School in Fort Worth until his father's job with Texas and Pacific Railway brought them to Marshall in 1932. He graduated from Marshall High School in 1933. After working at Marshall National Bank as a teller, he enlisted in the US Navy and served sixteen months at the US Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he worked at the war bond office there. He was later shipped to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii where he worked as a photographer until he was discharged on October 18, 1945. He married Doris Laverne (Pal) Nolan on June 8, 1947, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marshall, and they celebrated their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary this past June. He worked at Timsco (Timberland Saw Co.) in Marshall for thirty-four years and retired as credit manager in 1993 at age seventy-seven. However, his life remained full for his almost twenty years in retirement. Faith and family always highlighted his life as he spent most of his hours away from work with his wife and four daughters. Jimmy or "Daddy" to his four daughters will be remembered for his love of life, his smile, his jokes, his easy-going nature and his positive attitude. He remained active in some form of athletics throughout his life, learning tennis, golf, football, and baseball with his beloved three first cousins from Longview, John, James and Charles Rodgers with whom he spent every summer and most weekends. He played football and tennis in high school and then later added weight lifting at Marshall's first gym. He also played in both city league and church league softball for many years and coached softball teams for which his daughters played. He returned to tennis in the late fifties and continued to play tennis regularly in leagues until age ninety, as well as bicycling and bowling. In 1965 he won the Marshall City Championship Tennis Tournament at age forty-nine, besting his college-aged opponent. He has been a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church since 1932, and his mother was formerly church pianist and organist there. He served on the church finance council in the sixties and a chairman for the building fund drive for a new Catholic school in Marshall in the sixties. He served as part-time church bookkeeper for years and had been a member of Knights of Columbus, a charter member of Marshall Tennis Association and delivered Meals on Wheels for twelve years and enjoyed membership in McDonalds' "Over the Hill" gang . He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Mary Alice Nolan Visage of Austin and Houston in 1997 and his grandson Jack M. (Jackie) Carson III of Marshall in 2006. He is survived by his loving wife Pal Nolan, his four daughters, Linda N. Pruitt and husband Jerry, Sharon N. Carson, Janet N. Wells and Lisa N. Adams and husband Jody, all of Marshall. Also surviving him are his grandchildren Brandy Flanagan Smith and husband Wesley of Marshall, Brian Adams and wife Mandi of Tyler, Allison A. Gay and husband Art of Little Rock, Arkansas, Caron Carson Ford and husband Matt, Texie Carson Nash and husband Michael, all of Marshall. His surviving great-grandchildren are Alexis Smith and Weston Smith of Marshall, Jake Adams, Trent Adams and Ellie Adams of Tyler, Bella Ford and Jax Ford of Marshall, Duncan Nash, Jon Michael Nash and Dylan Nash, Leslie Davis Weir and husband Daniel, all of Marshall. His great-great granddaughter is Texie Grace Nash of Marshall. Pallbearers will be Brian Adams, Arthur Gay, Wesley Smith, Matt Ford, Michael Nash and Jim Brandon. Honorary pallbearers will be Bob Bowles, Dr. Larry Smith of Longview, Dr. Pham, Frank Dias, John Rectenwald, Terry Venden and Bill Jones. Special thanks are extended to the loving nursing staff and caregivers of D-wing at Marshall Manor and Marshall Home Care and Hospice. Flowers are permitted at the funeral home and donations can be sent in his name to St. Joseph Catholic Church, 410 N. Alamo, Marshall, Tx. 75670