McMullin, James Taylor
James (Jim or “Jimmy”) Taylor McMullin passed away suddenly of an arrhythmia heart attack April 8, 2020 in his chair at home. Jim was a local boy, born in Utah but came to Santa Barbara when he was 4 years old. He was the son of Carma Taylor & Floyd H. McMullin, a Civil Engineer who helped design the Bradbury Dam at Lake Cachuma. Jim was a Wilson Wildcat& one of “Van’s boys”. He also attended Harding, La Cumbre JHS, and SBHS {Class of ’60) where he formed many friendships that are still close to this day. After retiring he enjoyed staying in touch with “Class of “60” and other friends, spending many Tuesday mornings at the Breakwater Cafe sharing their stories.
In 1972 Jim married the love of his life, Barbara. They made a great team, even though he worked and played with an intensity that was sometimes hard to keep up with. Jim’s spirit really soared in the mountains, he was a true outdoorsman who loved hunting & stream fishing. He was an avid mountain biker, loved the desert, off-roading with cars, motorcycles, and ocean fishing on his boat exploring the Coast and the Channel Islands.
Jim became a licensed General Contractor in 1976 forming McMullin Construction, a successful independent general construction firm. Jim was a talented builder who gave extraordinary service to his clients many of whom became lifelong friends. He was very organized, a leader in all he accomplished. He built custom homes, completed residential, commercial/industrial remodels & developed small condominium projects. It didn’t matter to Jim if you were a laborer, supplier, subcontractor, architect or owner, he treated everyone equally. Jim gave & received the deep respect of those he worked with, especially Luis Valerio, his loyal foreman who became a close friend. Jim was always there to offer help or give valuable advice to someone if they needed it & he was greatly appreciated by those who received his generous assistance. Jim lived life on his own terms: he did not deviate from his strong belief that being very honest, straight-forward, telling it “like it is” and that his handshake was his bond.
In his later years Jim solidified his Faith by returning to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his family religion. He became very involved in Family Search, tracing the lineage for many families, including his own. Through his “Indexing” efforts, where the Church is digitalizing old census & birth records, he was able to reunite many people with their ancestors. Jim was ordained to the Melchizedek Priest hood as an Elder & was set apart as a Family History/Temple Consultant.
Jim is survived by his loving wife and life-partner, Barbara, & his brother, Floyd “Taylor” McMullin. Those also grieving his untimely death are Barbara’s family, his many cousins throughout the country, and friends across the spectrum of life.
Jim’s will rest in peace at the Santa Barbara Cemetery. Due to the Corona Virus, a memorial service and celebration of life will take place this summer. This tribute will be on the Welch-Ryce-Haider Website: www.wrhsb.com for anyone wishes to leave a “Jimmy Story”.