Funeral service for James Frederick Burford will be 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Bo Fordham of Emmanuel Ministries Statesboro, Georgia officiating.

Burial with military honors will follow in Fort Sill National Cemetery Elgin, Oklahoma.

The service may be viewed by following the live stream link at www.beckerfuneral.com or by visiting the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Facebook page.

James Frederick Burford, 75, passed away Thursday, December 1, 2022, at his home in Lawton, Oklahoma. Known to most as either Jim or JJ, he was born Nov. 25, 1947, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to the late James Lester and Isabelle Burford.

After graduating high school in 1965, he served one tour of duty with the US Army in Vietnam. Most of his career was spent with the Federal Government as a Civil Service employee. For many years he was employed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, before retiring from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. A lover of music, golf, his Pittsburgh Steelers, his family, and most of all his Lord Jesus Christ, he found joy in bringing smiles to others, especially children.

He spent his last several years between his home in Lawton and visiting family in Georgia. He enjoyed driving, and never arrived without something special for his grandchildren. We often thought he only went back to Oklahoma to plan what to bring next.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Lester Burford, sister, Diane Armstrong, and Ferdinand, one very special automobile.

He is survived by his son, Matthew (Kristina) Burford of Statesboro, Georgia, daughter, Jaime (William) Jones of Lawton, Oklahoma, four brothers, David (Vicki) Burford of North Carolina, Robert Burford of Pennsylvania, Samuel Burford of Pennsylvania, and Timothy (Bridget) Burford of Pennsylvania; four sisters,

Edna Burford of Pennsylvania, Bonnie (Arthur) Gamble of Pennsylvania, Linda Jones of Pennsylvania, and Trudy (Dennis) Jones of Pennsylvania; 6 grandchildren; Megan (Daniel), Will, Samantha (widow of Ferdinand), old boy John, Donnie, the one & only Ryan; and 3 great-grandchildren, Jasper, Riley and Ezra.