James M.L. Devlin was called home to the Lord peacefully on December 30th, 2023 , in Cleburne, Texas with his beloved wife of 33 years by his side. James, 59 years old was born in Enid, OK, on July, 4th 1964. He was nicknamed “firecracker baby”, and definitely lived up to this name with his witty sense of humor that he had till the very end, his orneriness, and his huge love for life. In 1984 he graduated high school in Rogers, Arkansas. Shortly after graduation, he moved to the Cleburne area where he joined his brother/best friend Greg to pursue a business in HVAC/Refrigeration. This was also where he would meet his soulmate, Tommie, at a local gas station in 1990, where they’d go on to live a joyous life, full of love until the very end, never leaving each others side. James was known for his hard work ethic and love for his family, from coaching baseball on the weekends and camping trips to the state park, to going to work on the hottest of Texas days to make sure everyone had air conditioning or refrigeration. He was loyal and hard-working even though  his illness, he gave all he had to make sure his family was taken care of and loved. Dad also had a lot of love for cooking and could sure cook up a mean steak! And if you asked for it well done, he would have just asked you to leave, jokingly of course. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to cook a steak well done. “It’s a crime!”, he would say.. Just like every other Devlin, James had a huge love for his babies.. furbabies, I mean. His Rocky boy was his best cuddle buddy. We always had pets growing up and Dad would always go out of his way to feed every stray around. He really did love every living being and constantly proved that love to his family, friends, and pets day in and day out. James was preceded in death by his parents Robert and Doris Devlin, and brother Greg Devlin and step sister Kimber Skelly. Left behind to cherish his memory is his loving wife Tommie Devlin, his 4 perfect children Michael, Conner, Ryan and Anna. Along with his 11 beautiful grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Teri Maddox and her husband Jim of Rogers, Arkansas, and his step brother Shannon Skelly, of Cleburne, Tx. He also leaves behind countless friends and community members who had the privilege of knowing him. My dad was the absolute best person on this earth, he loved his family so much. He would do anything for anyone and proved that time after time. He will be severely missed by so many… till next time dad. “My dad shouldered and carried this family for 31 years and he was my hero ” -C