James Arnold Gwaltney

Memorial services for James A. Gwaltney, Ph.D., 80, will be held at 10:00 AM, November 17th in the Chapel at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, with Senior Minister, Tom Pace, officiating. Dr. Gwaltney died at his home in Houston on Saturday, November 5th, from complications of Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. James A. Gwaltney, known to friends as Jim, and family as Jimmy, was born in Memphis, TN September 20th, 1936 to Imogene and Clifford Gwaltney. He was the oldest of four boys, Jimmy, Bobby, Tommy, and Billy. The family moved to McKenzie, TN when Jim was very young, and developed deep roots there, raising their boys, serving as community leaders, and active in meeting the needs of the people in their town. It was Jim’s experiences growing up in the small town of McKenzie that helped to shape his values and led to his eventual call into the Ministry.

After graduating from Lambuth College in 1957, Jim moved to Dallas and enrolled in Perkins School of Theology at SMU, where he earned his Master’s degree in Theology and later his Doctorate in Ministry. Additional degrees followed, including a Master’s in Counseling and a Doctorate in Psychology. With two master’s degrees, two doctorates, and post-doctoral work at the Jungian Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, Dr. Gwaltney’s life was spent as a Minister, Teacher, Business Consultant, Psychologist, and Author.

During his service as a Pastor in the United Methodist Church, Jim moved to Richardson, TX, organized and founded Westshore Methodist church. They began services in the back of an old theatre, later moved to a small one room wooden church, and eventually broke ground and built the building that remains today. Jim and his family served Westshore for 10 years, during which time the church grew to over 1000 members, and was an active and vibrant part of the, then, small Richardson, TX community.

An opportunity to return to academia led Jim back to Perkins School of Theology at SMU where he served in teaching and administrative positions in the schools of Business and Theology. In partnership with Claus Rohlfs, Jim designed and pioneered the implementation of an Intern program for theology students, which represented a major innovation at the school. Although he eventually transitioned to work in business settings, Jim never lost his first calling as a minister, and his approach as a counselor and a business coach was heavily influenced by his natural gift as a minister to others.

In 1980, Dr. Gwaltney founded Mentor Management, Inc., a training and consulting firm with offices in Houston and Dallas, and clients throughout the United States. What had previously only been available in seminar form to his clients, Dr. Gwaltney made available to all when he published Interpersonal Technology: The Art and Science of Personal and Professional Effectiveness in 2011, a foundation course for social-emotional awareness. Dr. Gwaltney spent his life devoted to sharing what he saw as crucial knowledge in our ability to make positive relationship connections. Up until the day before his death, Jim continued to teach, and to expand on his ideas in an effort to help advance the leadership qualities and social- emotional intelligence of anyone he came in contact with!

As a teacher, writer, and Minister, Jim blessed every family gathering with a message of personal reflection; sometimes thought-provoking and inspirational, and sometimes humorous stories, these were always deeply meaningful to those of us who looked forward to him sharing his thoughts with us. They will be missed by all.

Dr. Gwaltney was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Bob Gwaltney who have, by now welcomed him into heaven. He is survived by his wife, Alice, of Houston; brother Tom Gwaltney of Plano; sister-in law Elaine Gwaltney, of Plano, and Bill Gwaltney of Huntingdon, TN; daughters Leslee, and husband Bill Light of Dallas; Lynda, and husband Dan Butcher of Plano; Lisa Gwaltney of Dallas; Alison, and husband Steve Smith of Montgomery, TX; and grandchildren Cal, and wife Ashton Butcher; Will Butcher; Elizabeth, and husband Lee Broome; Jordan Thomas, Alexander Thomas, Nicholas Thomas, and Blake Smith; great grand-children Mason and Zoey Broome and nephews Joseph, and wife Kim Gwaltney; and Robert, and wife Tammy Gwaltney.

Special thanks to caregivers Leslie Garcia, Norma Avalos, Mora Martinez and Hospice crisis nurses Faith and Amy for their compassion and kindness to “Dr. Jim.”

In lieu of remembrances, memorial contributions may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation at http://www3.parkinson.org/goto/tributeJAGwaltney . There is an opportunity on the page to leave your name and any comments you would like to express.

Arrangements under the direction of NEPTUNE SOCIETY - Houston, Houston, TX.