FORT WORTH – James C. Lough was born on August 27, 1947, in Big Spring, Texas, to the late J.C. Lough and Austeen Lipscomb. He passed away on March 20, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas, at the age of 78. James was a man who lived life to its fullest and always pushed his own boundaries towards new skills and new adventures. Jim earned his college degree from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, after receiving a scholarship to play football for the Tigers. From there, he continued to pursue his love of the game as a walk-on recruit for the New York Jets, playing in the NFL for 2 seasons before his knees told him it was time to hang up his cleats. In 1973, James decided his next adventure was to become an actor in California so he waved goodbye to his parents and with 2 spare tires in the trunk, he drove West where he took acting classes and soon met his first wife, Karen Venzon. They were married 15 years and had two children – Jeffrey and Jamie. With his family in Southern California, James pursued his next dream of buying land and building a house. He learned to rope and ride cutting horses competitively while substitute teaching, getting his real estate license and earning roles on shows including M.A.S.H., The Fall Guy, The A-Team, and Knight Rider. James loved to work with his hands and could often be found in his garage building the next piece of furniture, working on his truck or horsetrailer, or in the barn cleaning his saddles. James was an attentive, hard-working, and devoted father. He loved to take his kids camping, teach them horsemanship, and attended Jeffrey’s high school football games. After his two children graduated high school, James decided to move back to his home state of Texas in 1997. Using his knowledge as a builder, James worked the past 2 decades as a home warranty specialist with 2 large home development companies. He also earned his pilot license, took his fly fishing to new heights, and continued to find spots on television and movies up until only a few years ago. James also fell in love with a native Texan, whom he found companionship and love for over 23 years. James valued life-long friendships and kept in touch with friends from every chapter of his life including his college football teammates who he made a point to go to the Ouachita football games with at least once a year. Above all, James was devoted to his Catholic faith and dedicated every day to his morning devotional study, prayer, and living his truth. Although he left California years ago, the ocean never left him. James loved going to the beach with his kids and grandkids on his visits back out to California. James is survived by his two children, Jamie and Jeffrey, and 6 grandchildren – Cheyanne, Kaley, Kloey, Anika, Donovan, and Falcon. Serving as pallbearers will be Jeff Lough, Jeff Pennington, Donovan Lough, Mark Lemay, Brent Hill, Jackson Hill, Brian Kelly and Harrison Hill. Honorary pallbearers will be the OBU Tiger Football Alumni and the Knights of Columbus Council #759. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: The American Cancer Society. https://donate.cancer.org/?campaign=honormemorialbutton&lang=en Visitation will be held on Monday April 13, 2026, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Greenwood Funeral Home Chapel at 3100 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76107. A holy rosary will be held in the Live Oak Chapel on Monday beginning at 6:00 p.m. A Holy Mass of Resurrection will be held on Tuesday April 14, 2026 beginning at 10:30 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 2016 Willis Lane, Keller, Texas 76248. Entombment will follow in the Greenwood Memorial Park Mausoleum. A reception will follow at the Greenwood Funeral Home Suite C and D at 3344 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76107. For those who are not able to attend the services in Fort Worth a live-stream will be available through the Greenwood website on Mr. Lough’s obituary page. For the rosary on April 13, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. go to the Greenwood Funeral Home website and click on the obituary page for Mr. Lough. From there you can navigate to the bottom of the obituary and click the tab that says “watch service.” To view the funeral service on Tuesday April 14th please visit the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church website. GREENWOOD FUNERAL HOMEGreenwood Funeral Homes – Cremation3344 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, TX 76107817-336-0584
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