James “Jim” E. Cash Jr., age 82, of Mountain View, Arkansas, entered into rest on March 8, 2026, in Mountain Home, Arkansas.
Cash was born September 22, 1943, in Batesville, Arkansas, to James E. Cash and Dora Edna Storey Cash. He was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church in Mountain View, Arkansas.
A 1961 graduate of Mountain View High School, Cash was known for his athletic ability and love of sports. He was inducted into the Mountain View High School Hall of Fame in 2024 after excelling in basketball and baseball. As a student athlete, he was a 4-year letterman and leading rebounder in basketball and a standout left-handed pitcher who threw multiple no-hitters.
From 1958 through 1964, Cash played American Legion Baseball in Batesville, Arkansas, drawing attention from professional scouts. He was offered opportunities with the Milwaukee Braves organization, later known as the Milwaukee Brewers, before attending Ouachita Baptist University on a baseball scholarship.
Cash later returned to Mountain View, Arkansas, where he married Patsy Decker and began raising their family.
Throughout his life, Cash was deeply involved in public service and community leadership in Stone County Arkansas. He volunteered with the Mountain View Volunteer Fire Department, served with the Stone County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy and juvenile officer, and later served 2 terms as mayor of Mountain View, Arkansas.
During his time as mayor, Cash helped secure a 1 percent sales tax for the city, a measure that continues to generate revenue for the community. In 1990, alongside Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, Cash placed a 100-year time capsule at the Stone County Courthouse in Mountain View, Arkansas.
Cash was also active in promoting tourism and entertainment in the Ozarks. In 1984, he and his wife Pat founded Cash’s White River Hoedown, the first country music and comedy show in Mountain View, Arkansas. The show ran for 28 years, attracting visitors from across the United States and helping establish Mountain View as a destination for Ozark folk music and entertainment.
In addition to his public service, Cash owned a pulpwood buying and selling business from 1968 to 1984 and remained a strong supporter of the local community throughout his life.
Cash was preceded in death by his parents; his son Jim Ed Cash; his grandson DJ Binnie; and his brother-in-law Benny Decker.
He is survived by his wife Pat Cash of Mountain View, Arkansas; daughters Pamela Ann (Jake Dobbins) and Jana Kay (Brent Wickham); grandchildren Laramie Dobbins, Will Cody Dobbins, Trent Wickham, and Garrett Wickham, all of Mountain View, Arkansas; great-granddaughter Kaisley Ray Binnie of Viola, Arkansas; sister Beverly Looney of Greenbrier, Arkansas; and numerous relatives and friends.
Memorials may be made to the Stone County Historical Society or the Mountain View Iris Society.
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