Thomas Arthur James

Thomas Arthur James

Thomas Arthur James, long-time resident of Mapleton, Utah, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Mapleton home in the early morning hours of April 26, 2025, just shy of his 95th birthday.

Thomas Arthur James joined the family of Lucie Howard and Cecil Syme James in Rock Springs, Wyoming on Mother’s Day, May 11, 1930. He grew up in Rock Springs with his brother and four sisters, attended schools in Rock Springs, and graduated from Rock Springs High School in 1948. Shortly after his graduation the family moved to Provo, Utah, where Tom entered BYU. He interrupted his college career to serve a three-year mission in Japan. After a short missionary orientation in Salt Lake City, he sailed for the Orient with a group of fellow missionaries. They learned the language as they engaged in missionary work. Japan was still recovering from the devastation of World War II and missionaries had only recently returned after an absence of 24 years.

Shortly after returning from his mission, he was drafted into the army and was sent back to Japan with the Army Security Agency. After discharge from the army, he returned to Provo to continue his studies at BYU where he met Roberta Stevenson of Camarillo, California. They were married on June 4, 1956 in the newly opened Los Angeles temple.

After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, he was hired as Promotion Manager for Patterson Sales Clinic, a national firm which conducted seminars all over the country to train salesmen in the art of selling. This required moving to a new location every six weeks. With a wife and two children this presented challenges and opportunities. The young family moved 17 times in the next two years. Their anchor was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They always felt the love and support of Church members wherever they were.

When an offer came from BYU to chair the department of Special Courses and Conferences in Continuing Education, he readily accepted, bought a home in Provo and settled down. During the next ten years his innovative programs became nationally recognized, and his department was one of the best in the nation.

Three more children were added to the family during the BYU years.

The stability provided by BYU gave Tom the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning a horse. Soon he was looking for horse property in the country that would support several horses. When Roberta first saw the farmhouse in Mapleton he wanted to buy, she remarked that it really needed a lot of work to make it into a comfortable home for their growing family. Tom responded, “But have you seen the barn?” Mapleton was a great place to raise a family—and horses.

He loved the opportunity to raise and show his Arabian horses and in 1974, he and his partner, Verl Shell, campaigned their Arabian stallion, Gai-Adventure, to become the U.S. National Champion Stallion.

Tom left BYU to go into business for himself. He bought Art City Bowling Alley in Springville which was a community gathering place. As with all of Tom’s hobbies and career opportunities, the Bowling Alley was a family affair.

In 1977 Tom, an avid hunter, was looking for a safe place to store his growing gun collection. In collaboration with Lester Long he designed a steel safe about the size of a large refrigerator. The idea became so popular among his friends that he decided to go into the business of manufacturing quality safes and marketing them nationally. The resulting business was called Fort Knox Security Products and is still an active family-owned business today.

Retirement gave Tom an opportunity to pursue other interests. He had always been interested in The Boy Scouts of America. He believed the scouting program helped boys become honorable men. Again, it was a family affair. He encouraged his four sons to earn their Eagle Scout awards and his daughter went through Wood Badge training. Scout camps took precedence over other activities. He served for many years on the board of the Utah National Parks Council and received the Silver Beaver award for his service to the scouting program.

He loved the challenge of off-roading in his modified Cherokee jeep in Moab and Colorado. His favorite places to go were Canyonlands and the east end of the Hole in the Rock Trail from the Colorado River to Bluff, Utah. He led many groups on excursions through Utah’s canyonlands. His wife never thought he would die in bed, but he did.

In retirement, he and his wife had the opportunity to travel. They travelled through Europe and England. Japan, China and New Zealand, Mexico and Central America, and extensively throughout the United States.

Although he had always been ready to help his neighbors and his community in any way he could, retirement provided greater opportunities to serve his Heavenly Father. He served as an ordinance worker for many years in the Provo Temple. He and his wife answered the call to serve missions in Japan, Nauvoo, Martin’s Cove and locally.

Throughout his life, Church and Family were the most important things in his life. His work, his hobbies, his interests, his activities, his entire life, were all designed to bless his family and others. They gave him courage, comfort, direction, happiness and peace.

He is survived by his wife, Roberta, and his children, Lori Marett of Mapleton, JoDee and Curtis Swenson of Spanish Fork, Tom and Shelley James, Bill and Geri James, Philip and April James, all of Mapleton; 26 grandchildren; and 40 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Lucie James, his brother Richard A. James, his sister Lois Winfield and son, John Arthur James, Son-in-law, Kevin M. Marett.

The family wishes to express their thanks to Tom’s caregivers, Alisha, Brooke, Tiffany, and Trinity, and to Senior Helpers Senior Care and the competent and caring staff from I-Care Home Health and Hospice for the hours of care and love they gave to Tom and his family as his health declined.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1316 South Main Street, Mapleton, Utah. Viewings for family and friends will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, May 5, 2025 at Wheeler & Sundberg Funeral Home, 82 West 400 North, Mapleton, Utah and from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at the church before the services. Burial will be in the Mapleton City Cemetery.

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page.