Obituary for James G. Wilcox, 93
James G. (Jim) Wilcox.
– James G. (Jim) Wilcox, formerly of Paso Robles, died Sept. 22 at age 93 in Saint Paul, Minnesota after a brief illness. Born July 24, 1930, to Rudolph and Marian Wilcox in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Jim was a member of state high school championship basketball and football teams with the Carlsbad Cavemen. Unfortunately, his collegiate sports career, in both basketball and football at New Mexico State University, was ended by a car accident. Upon recovering from a broken back, Jim enrolled at Colorado State University to study Agriculture, graduating in 1953. His studies led him to the Imperial Valley where he worked first as feed superintendent for the Orita Land and Cattle Company and eventually as a livestock appraiser for Security National Bank.
Jim moved his young family to Paso Robles in 1960 with the goal of working in agriculture, rather than agricultural lending. It was here that he became the superintendent of the Chandler Ranches in 1963 and remained until his retirement, and beyond as he was a regular fixture at the Templeton Sales yard well into his 80s. A long-time member of the San Luis Obispo (SLO) County Cattlemen’s Board and County Bureau of Land Management Grazing Board, Jim was named SLO Cattleman of the Year in 1987. He was a past president of the Paso Robles Trail Riders and is remembered for hosting the ride at Cholame along with his faithful dog Bandit and Lyndon Chandler, businessman, friend, and owner of Chandler Ranches.
In 2018 the fish at Camp Roberts Watershed lost a major nemesis when Jim moved to Minnesota to be closer to family. Preceded in death by his parents as well as his older brother George, Jim is survived by sons Jim Wilcox Jr. and wife Diane in Taylorsville, Calif., and John Wilcox and wife Toni of Saint Paul, Minn., grandson Devin Wilcox and his partner Rosa in Reno, Nev., as well as granddaughter Crystal Wilcox, and great-granddaughter Sophia Pici of Princeton, Minn. His marriage to Ruth Wilcox (Knoeppel) ended in divorce.
Plans for a memorial gathering of Jim’s California friends and loved ones are pending, email toni.wilcox@outlook.com to be included.
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