Jason Gaddis

Jason DeMont Gaddis
Jason was born on September 27, 1976 and although he only lived 44 years, he lived a fuller life than most. Jason was such a happy child, always laughing, always running and never met a challenge he didn't take head on. He was a super athlete and dreamed of playing for the NFL or being on the motor cross tour. As far as sports, football was his first love, but he also played soccer, baseball and basketball. He loved riding bikes and motorcycles and playing outside until the streetlights came on.

Jason's life was not without suffering. Around age 5 he came in from playing and started vomiting. We could not get it stopped and he ended up in the hospital. After several days there, he was transferred to Children's Medical Hospital and was there for weeks. He weight dropped until his little legs could not walk. He had thrown up so much he was literally throwing up the lining of his stomach. Infectious disease doctors and neurological doctors all tried to find out what was causing the problem. We had prayer warriors praying for him around the clock and had our church come to the hospital and pray over him. The head doctor was young and skeptical about our prayers and thought this was all about science. Finally, we decided to take Jason out for a weekend, and we took him to a chiropractor. Jason threw up one time the entire weekend and when we went back to Children's the doctor looked at him and was astonished that all of Jason's bodily functions like smiling, raising eyebrows and such were back to normal. He said he couldn't explain it, but I assured him it was not science that healed Jason, it was my Savior.

In the 6th grade, Jason was playing Peewee football and went in to make a tackle. There was a big pile up and after the whistle blew, all the boys got off the pile except Jason. Coaches, his dad and a medical doctor ran out on the field to check him and it was quickly determined Jason's leg was severely broken. The diagnosis was he had broken his femur right at the growth plate. He had extensive surgery and was in a cast from his waist down for months. When the cast came off x-rays showed his growth plate had closed and they would have to surgically close the growth plate on his other leg to keep it from outgrowing the leg he broke. A series of growth evaluations determined that had this not happened Jason would have likely been 6'5 or taller. Jason tried to play football in the 7th and 8th grade but finally decided he was too worried about getting his leg reinjured and he gave up his dream of the NFL.

I share this because with everything Jason endured, he never lost his zeal for life or his ability to joke, laugh and live.
Jason loved music, he loved to dance, and he was always the life of the party…just like his dad. He loved to wear wild colorful clothes. He loved wearing "MC Hammer" pants and he had every color of "Chucks" that came out. He would mix them and wear a pink shoe on the left and a purple one on the right. He was never particular about name brands, he just loved color. Even in adulthood, shoes were one thing that Jason never had enough of. He loved shoes and he wore a size 15/16 so he never had to worry about his brother or dad trying to get in his shoes.

Jason was the ultimate family man. His family meant everything to him, and he considered his friends family. Jason wanted to purchase a large piece of land and build a huge "main house" where we would all gather and eat, watch TV, play games and of course swim. He wanted each family to have their own little cottage around the main house so we could all live together. He wanted 4 wheelers, motorcycles, horses and anything that would move. Jason loved swimming and if it were possible, I think he would have lived in a swimming pool. His nieces and nephews loved when he came to swim because he would stay in the pool playing with them for hours. He would make up pool games, play water volleyball, water polo and anything else he could dream up. Probably Jason's greatest times in life were in the pool with the kids.

Jason watched cooking shows and thought he was a chef. He would often challenge his dad to a "cook off". They would both brag about their final dish as if it were the winner of the Grand Champion Pit Master competition. He loved playing Madden on the Xbox and would play for hours. Even in the middle of the night he could be heard welling, "YES BABY, that's how we do it". He was a diehard Allen Eagle, OU Sooner fan and he loved his Dallas Cowboys. He would yell and say he was done but every game day he was set with his snacks and remote to cheer them on again.

Jason grew up in church and considered himself a good person. He believed in Jesus, knew Jesus was God's son and felt ok about himself because of that belief. Sunday morning, November 29th. Jason's dad, Bobby, passed away in our home with Jason sitting right beside him. Bobby had been sick for about a week and Jason had begun to have the same symptoms. Jason was devastated and it caused him to take a long hard look at life in general but especially his own live. Monday morning, November 30th the day after his dad went to be with the Lord, Jason was in the kitchen reading a post on Facebook and the post ended with something like, "those of us who are in Christ Jesus will see Bobby again". Jason laid down the phone and said, "Hold on mom". He called his older brother and his Pastor, Brother Jim and he told them that he was lost. He said that he knew about Jesus, he believed in Jesus but all that was just knowledge in his head, but he had never surrendered his heart to Jesus. Jason told them he knew that if he were to die, he would go to hell. That morning, Jason's belief went from religion to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He picked up the phone and called his Granny Glenda who had been praying for his salvation since he was a little boy. Little did we know that Jason would be dead before the week was over.

Jason DeMont Gaddis AKA Tiny put on a good show. He was a promoter and he loved to help artists get a break and he loved to negotiate and to do the business. Jason said he was living a double life; he was putting on a show for his family and he was a totally different person on social media. He was not proud of the deception and realized, he was the one who had been deceived. If you knew Tiny in that world, he would tell you that no amount of fame or fortune is worth your eternal soul. He would tell you that there is no such thing as being good enough or working hard enough to get to Heaven. He thought women, fortune and fame would satisfy him, but it didn't. Jason's dad always told his kids that what we do in the light will one day be exposed and one day, every knee is going to bow, and every tongue is going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

The meaning of the name Jason is "to heal". Because of that, Jason had Isaiah 61:1 tattooed on his arm. That verse says, "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the broken hearted and to proclaim that captives will be released, and prisoners will be freed".

Yes, Tiny loved to party and be surrounded by family and friends. He was in the middle of planning a family reunion this coming summer. I assure you he is in Heaven, planning an even greater reunion and he wants you to be there. The prerequisite to attending this party is to realize you are a sinner, a captive and a prisoner to sin and you need a savior. Ask Jesus to forgive you, to redeem you and surrender your life to him. That is your invitation. Jason AKA Tiny loved this saying, "Eternity if too long to be wrong". In the last week of his life, Tiny got it right, he was no longer living to serve himself, he lived to serve his Savior.
Jason is preceded in death by his dad Bobby Ray Gaddis, his grandparents, Lee and Ruth Gaddis (Big Daddy and Big Mama), grandad Willie Brown, step-grandads Bill Akins and Eugene Byrd and a host of aunts and uncles that he adored.

Service Information
Bobby and Jason Gaddis will be laid to rest Tuesday, December 15th at Lake View Cemetery, 2343 County Road 486, Lavon Tx 75166.
The viewing will be at FBC Lavon on Monday, December 14th from 6-8PM. FBC Lavon is located at 205 Main Street, Lavon TX. 75166.
The funeral service will be held Tuesday, December 15th at FBC Lavon, 11:00 AM, located at 205 Main Street, Lavon TX. 75166.

The family is very aware of the serious nature of COVID because Bobby and Jason both tested positive for the virus. If you do plan to attend the viewing or the service in person, please be aware we will follow the mandatory guidelines and require masks and will practice social distancing. Because of these guidelines, seating will be limited but there will be overflow at the Assembly of God Church next door to FBC Lavon.

We have arranged for the funeral to be streamed live to allow friends and family to participate from the safety of their homes. To view the service via live stream, log on to FBCLavon or you can follow them on Facebook or YouTube. Their obituaries will be posted on the website of Charles Smith & Sons Funeral Home; texasfuneralhomeandcremation.com.

We thank you in advance for your adherence to these guidelines. One life is worth saving and we would rather be safe than sorry. God Bless,
Flowers can be sent to FBC Lavon and delivered on Monday, Dec. 15th or donations in honor of Bobby and Jason can be made to the benevolence fund at following:

FBC Lavon Texas
Northplace Church of Sachse Texas
Urban Alternative – Tony Evans
FBC Stanton Texas

Services entrusted to Charles W. Smith & Sons of Lavon, Texas.