of Mountain Home, AR

October 20, 2020

After a life well lived, full of treasured stories, Dr. Jim T. Welborn died peacefully at home October 20, 2020 of lymphoma.

Jim was born on May 15, 1933, in Western Grove, Arkansas, to the late Luther and Edith Welborn and grew up in nearby Harrison where he played in many football games, performed in the marching band, acted in some plays and, more often than not, caused some ruckus around town. After high school, he attended Arkansas Tech and then State Teachers (now UCA). He met his wife of 62 years, the late Helen French Welborn, on a blind date in Eureka Springs.

After they married, Jim and Helen lived in Memphis where he attended Southern College of Optometry. Discovering that building a practice in your home town is difficult, he joined the National Guard. When an opportunity to purchase an optometry practice opened in Mountain Home in 1960, he took it! He practiced on Main Street, right across from his favorite morning coffee place, The Cedar Grill, until 1972 when he built an office, along with Dr. Rosa, on Hospital Drive. He was lucky to have Betty Milum, his office administrator, at his side his entire optometric career. Jim retired from practice in 1996, but went on to volunteer his services at the Christian Clinic for 12 years.

Along the way, Jim was actively involved in the community, serving on the city council for 7 years and was part of the water and sewer commission that brought water to Mountain Home from Lake Norfork.

Most times you could find Jim spending time with his family on the lake, fishing with friends and family, bowling, or hunting for quail or ducks with his brother-in-law. He loved a good story, funny joke and good-natured teasing.

Jim was also proud of his 60-year membership in Lions Club during which he received the Lion of the Year, Dalstrom and Melvin Jones Fellowship awards. He served in many roles, including president from 1996-1997. Jim was a self-taught computer programmer and wrote programs for his office, but he was proudest of the program he wrote for the Lions Club auction bringing them out of the chalkboard era and into the computer age. The Lions Club used his program for 16 years.

Jim considered his family his greatest success. Surviving Jim are his daughters Laura and Ron Proctor of Flippin; Mary Patton of Tulsa, OK; and Saundra and Jeff Rueppel of Atlanta, GA; his grandchildren Jennifer (Beau) Barnes, Zach (Rachel) Proctor, Sarah (Cassie) Patton and Catherine and Sydney Rueppel; and great-grandchildren Ruby and Gavin Barnes and Holland Proctor. He was predeceased by his wife, parents, sister Ruth Ann Knight and brother, Robert Welborn.

The family would like to thank his Home Instead caregivers for the years of companionship; his helpful neighbors on Richwood Dr.; Dr. Paden, his physician; and the attentive and caring Hospice Staff at the end.

In lieu of flowers, consider charitable donations to the Mountain Home Lions Club at PO Box 58 Mountain Home AR 72654 or the Baxter Regional Hospital Foundation for the Mruk Center for Aging at 624 Hospital Dr. Mountain Home, AR 72653.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, October 24, from 1:00-2:00 p.m., at Roller Funeral Home with a service, officiated by Rev. Randy Ludwig to follow at 2:00. Interment will be private.

Due to COVID-19, we are complying with the Arkansas Department of Health guidelines and limiting indoor funeral and visitation attendance to 100 people at one time. All attendees must provide and wear their own face masks before entering.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller Funeral Home
Highway 5 North
Mountain Home, AR  72654
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com