James "Don" Chambers

Funeral services for James “Don” Chambers, 71, of Paradise, Texas, will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, June 10, 2024, at Hudson & Torres Family Funeral Home in Bridgeport, with burial to follow at Paradise Cemetery. Visitation will be held at 12 p.m. Monday, June 10, one hour prior to the service, at the funeral home. Pastor Shawn Brewer will officiate.

Pallbearers will include Brandon Chambers, Chuck Rhoades, Jayson Rhoades, Julian Perez, Luis Perez and Cody Rose.

James Donald Chambers was born on October 17, 1952, in Dublin, Texas, to the late Raymond Carl and Rosemary Chambers. Don moved to Paradise, Texas, in 1964 with his parents and siblings. He graduated from Paradise High School in 1971 as valedictorian. After high school, Don was accepted into the U.S. Coast Guard Academy as one of 350 from an applicant pool of 8,000. Don married Bonnie Lynn McKeever on June 2, 1976, in New London, Connecticut, at the Coast Guard Academy. He served as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard for 20 years. Following his service, he continued to work as an engineer on the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker ships in the private sector up until his retirement in 2022.

Don is survived by his wife, Bonnie; three children, Kristina Rhoades, Brandon Chambers, and Amber Wood; grandchildren Julian, Jayson, Luis, Zoey, Savannah, Brianna, Kaden, and Liam; and brother, Rodney Chambers. 

Don is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Carl and Rosemary Chambers; brother, Gary Dean Chambers; and sister, Lela Rose Chambers.

© (Hudson & Torres Family Funeral Home)

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