James Walter Ross Kyd

James Walter Ross Kyd passed away on Sunday, September 20, 2020 at the age of 82.
There will be a memorial service at 4 pm on Sunday, September 27, 2020 at St. Timothy’s Anglican Church in Spring, Texas.

Jim was born in Cardiff, Wales on February 18, 1938 to Donald and Margaret Kyd. He grew up to be a big brother to Ian, Robin, and Jennifer. He became an apprentice at Rolls Royce in Derby, England in 1955. In 1961 on Valentine’s Day, he married Oriel Lindsey at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Soho Square, London. In late 1963, Jim’s work with Rolls Royce transferred him to Caithness, Scotland, where he worked on a nuclear submarine. On May 16, 1964 his daughter, Fiona was born at Inverness Hospital. Less than two years later, his daughter Anthea was born on March 30, 1966 at Thurso Hospital.

In 1968 Jim moved his family to Tutbury in Staffordshire, England. There he continued his work with Rolls Royce in Derby. After finding an advertisement in the London Daily Telegraph, he applied to work as a piping designer and was offered a job with Lummus in Houston, Texas. Jim, Oriel, Fiona and Anthea made their way to Houston in November of 1974. They took up residence for a few weeks at the Holiday Inn near the Galleria and later rented an apartment. The following year, the family purchased a home in the Spring Branch area. Jim’s love of gardening produced a spectacular raised and irrigated rose bed that filled the front garden with blooms year-round. He was a life-long car enthusiast that could be found washing and detailing the family car every Saturday morning.

Jim divorced Oriel Lindsey in 1983, and his work with Lummus took him on long term assignments to both New Jersey and Alberta, Canada over the next few years. It was during his work in New Jersey that he first met Phyllis Bagnasco. Jim and Phyllis were married in 1989. They were married for eleven years, and Jim remained very close to Phyllis and her family throughout the remainder of his life. He will be dearly missed by the entire Bagnasco family.

Jim was preceded in death by his daughter Fiona Smith, and his brother, Ian Kyd.
He is survived by his sister-in-law, Jackie Kyd; his brother, Robin Kyd and wife Pat; his sister, Jenni Honisett and husband David; his daughter, Anthea Kotlan and husband Bill; his grandchildren, Michael Smith and wife Jordan, Suzanne Garcia and husband Anthony, Rachel Schwandt and husband Michael and Erin Kotlan and fiancée Mayo Delano; and great grandchildren, Kiersten, Colt, Knox, Margaret and Cooper.