James Franklin Heathcock (Jim) was born in San Antonio and spent his early years living in various houses and apartments on the Southeast of San Antonio. He attended Brackenridge High School, graduating in 1957. He attended Abilene Christian College for two years. He worked in retail sales at Sears, where he eventually became manager of the shoe department.

Jim served in the US army from January 9, 1963 until January 8, 1965. He was stationed at Fort Chaffey in Fort Smith, Arkansas. As he told his brother in 2018, when he was interviewed by a placement officer after basic training, he was told “We can place you as a typist or if you would like an outdoor job we can send you overseas to a place called Vietnam. Personally, if I were you, I would take the office job.” So Jim did take the office job and for the rest of his life he joked that he was in the army during the Vietnam War but he never fired a gun or had a gun fired at him. This two-year stint paid off big time because it qualified him for VA benefits, including full medical care for the rest of his life, including the huge costs of a heart transplant.

Jim had athersclerosis and had bypass surgery in 1978. Following that operation, he experienced cardiomyapothy. He had a heart transplant June 15, 1986. At the time of his death, Jim had survived 32 years and 6 months with his original heart transplant, making him one of the longest-surviving heart transplant patients. The record is held by heart transplant patient Ted Nowakowski (USA, b. 23 November 1948) who lived for 34 years and 261 days after receiving his transplant on 25 April 1983 and surviving until 11 January 2018.22

Jim and his wife Pat Davis Heathcock founded Standard Stamp Company on Basse Road in San Antonio in the late 1970s. In his later years, he and Pat were residents at Brookdale Assisted Living in San Antonio.

Patricia Jo Heathcock
August 15, 1950 – May 7, 2018
Patricia Jo “Pat” Heathcock passed away on May 7, 2018, at the age of 67 years.
A native of San Antonio, Pat was the daughter of Mildred and Hardy Davis. She was a 1968 graduate of Harlendale High School and married James Franklin Heathcock on July 4, 1972, in San Antonio. With her husband, Pat owned and operated Standard Stamp Company for almost 40 years.
Pat will be lovingly remembered by her husband James and her children James Bradley and Lisa Michelle, wife of Daniel Moffett. Pat will also be fondly remembered by her four grandchildren, Matthew James Heathcock, Raegan Elisse Heathcock, Lachlan James Moffett, and Rowan Elizabeth Moffett, by her brother William Earl Davis and his wife Hazel, her sister Barbara Lynn Cortez and her husband Joe Cortez, and by her many nieces, nephews and extended family and dear friends.
A Celebration of Pat’s life and interment will be held at 11 am on May 22, 2018 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio.
In lieu of flowers, those who so desire may make memorial donations in memory of Pat to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105).