More detail on this person: Col. James Tindall Retired Col. James Tindall was a strait-laced, larger-than-life father figure who could fix anything - often with duct tape. "We probably remember him best for taking care of things around the house in very interesting ways," son Whit Tindall said. Col. James Tindall lavished attention on Blue Bessie, his 1971 Toyota station wagon. Col. Tindall was a do-it-yourself kind of guy who enjoyed woodworking, electrical and yard work. He kept a well-stocked shop full of tools, some of which he fashioned out of duct tape. And if something needed repair, he'd often turn to the thick, silvery adhesive. "He fixed brake lines with duct tape, which worked great until you needed the brakes," Mr. Tindall said with a laugh. Blue Bessie, the colonel's 1971 Toyota station wagon, often bore the brunt of his fix-it efforts. To repair the steering wheel, he used coat-hanger wire. To secure the battery, he used baling wire and tennis balls. To cover a hole in the passenger side floorboard, he simply threw down a mat. But the colonel never needed to repair the seats. In fact, they were in mint condition - with the original plastic seat covers in place - when he donated the car to charity four or five years ago. In more than 30 years with the colonel, Blue Bessie sported several paint jobs and blue-and-red shag carpet, toured the United States and Europe sans air-conditioning and heat, and logged 200,000 miles. "We joked for years about burying him in Blue Bessie, with him wired into the driver's seat," Mr. Tindall said. James Earl Tindall, 71, of Johns Creek died Monday of a heart attack. The funeral will be 10 a.m. July 6 at Georgia National Cemetery near Canton. Alpharetta-SouthCare Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Born in 1938, Col. Tindall grew up in Magee, Miss. He attended the University of Mississippi for five years before enlisting in the U.S. Army. In his more than 30 years, he earned more than 15 commendations and served two tours in Vietnam. In his first tour, he flew Huey helicopters. In his second, he was one of first pilots to fly the Cobra gunship, a precursor to the Apache copter. After his tours, he became an instructor pilot. Retired Col. Bill Hughes was Col. Tindall's lifelong friend. As privates in 1961, they went through officer candidate school together at Fort Sill, Okla. In 2001, Col. Tindall was inducted into the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame. "He was more proud of that than any other award or decoration he received," Col. Hughes said. "It was not for one single act, but for a lifetime of service." Col. Tindall's military duties meant the family moved a lot. In fact, by the time Mr. Tindall left high school, the family had relocated 18 times. At one time, they resided in Europe at the height of the Cold War. Mr. Tindall said growing up, he didn't understand - or even like - his dad's authoritarian, no-nonsense or miserly ways. But the 41-year-old said his impression has changed. "When I was younger, I thought he was absolutely crazy," he said. "Now that I've gotten older, the things he did make a lot more sense. I don't know if that means I'm getting crazy or maturing a bit." Additional survivors include his wife, Nona Tindall; a son, Lee Tindall of Woodstock; a brother, Dr. George Tindall of Meansville; and a sister, Jo Windham of Coto de Caza, Calif.
Burial information: Georgia National Cemetery, Canton, GA
This information was last updated 09/16/2020
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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