Obituary of Wanda Loretta James

Wanda James of Sapulpa passed away on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at the age of 78. She was born on August 6, 1946, in Fayette, Alabama to Harvey and Oma (Lawson) Bircheat.  Wanda was the tenth of eleven children and developed skills in basketball and softball to keep up with her brothers.

 On October 16, 1964, Wanda married the love of her life, Bill James, in Drumright, Oklahoma and their union was blessed with one son, Matt.  Wanda earned a Master’s Degree from the University of South Carolina and worked many years as a teacher in Alabama, South Carolina, and finally Oklahoma.  In 1984, she and Bill purchased The Learning Shop, an educational supply store, in Tulsa, and Wanda managed the store for the next 35 years. 

Wanda loved teaching and teachers.  In her later years, she volunteered with Thrive, a tutoring ministry of Kirk Crossing Church.  She enjoyed attending sporting events for her grandsons and spending time with family.  She also loved to “play ball” with her grandsons, gardening and maintaining her yard, and she was always learning new things and loved to meet new people.

Wanda was a loving wife, aunt, grandmother, and friend, but most importantly, she was a follower of Christ.

Those left to cherish her memory are:
Son Matt James and wife Michelle of Glenpool
Grandsons Nick and Nathaniel
Brothers Dan, Charles, and Mitchell
Sisters-in-law Alice and Sherry
Brother-in-law Lurd Waldrop
Many nieces, nephews, and loving family.

She was preceded by:
Husband Bill James
Brothers Edsel, Monroe, and Ralph
Sisters Betty, Nelda, Jeanette, and Linda.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations to be made to the Thrive Tutoring Ministry of Kirk Crossing Church, https://kirkcrossing.com.  If mailing a check, write “Thrive” in the subject line and make the check out to Kirk Crossing.  The mailing address is 11420 S. James Ave., Jenks, OK, 74037.