James Milton Solomon, 90, of Tulsa, OK, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2026, at Clarehouse with family by his side.

Born in Peoria, Illinois, April 13, 1936, Jim loved the farm life. This led him to the University of Illinois, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture with majors in Engineering and Economics. These skills led him to Carl Schewe Farms, where he spent time with owners of 64 farms in the Midwest. Jim’s work caught the attention of Caterpillar, where he spent the next 20 years. Texas and Oklahoma responsibilities led to his role as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. His International assignments led him to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, and then to a Sales Manager role for the U.S. Southeastern Division of Caterpillar—the largest sales division within Caterpillar Worldwide. Jim was recruited away to become Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Albert Equipment Company, the fourth largest CAT dealer in the U.S. After 10 years with Albert, he started his own pipeline construction equipment company—SABRE International, Inc. He and his wife, Carla, owned and operated SABRE for 13 years. The international experience proved valuable as eighty percent of SABRE sales were made outside the U.S. SABRE also received the prestigious award from the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce as the Small Business Exporter of the Year in 1999. SABRE had a reputation as an innovator of pipeline equipment and received the patent for the Challenger Pipelayer.

After SABRE, Jim became Managing Director of Shield International, a pipeline equipment consulting company. Jim retired in 2022 after 63 years of selling and marketing the “Yellow Iron” of CAT. Jim is a good man whose heart and mind are filled with the love of Christ. Jim served for a decade as an usher at the Kirk, spent countless Saturdays building wheelchair ramps with the Kirk Karpenters, led mission trips to areas where people had been devastated by disaster or poverty, and helped entrepreneurs set up their businesses to thrive using his vast experience and wisdom from his successful career as a business owner. Jim will be missed, but he left a legacy.

He is survived by his wife, Carla, his sons Bill, Andy, and Steve, his daughter, Deb, fourteen grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren.  His stories, jokes, common sense, work ethic, love of the Lord, and his family were all very special to him. He often said that the purpose of life is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, and to have it make some difference that you have lived—and lived well. Jim, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Heaven received a good one.

In lieu of flowers the family asks you make a donation to Clarehouse or Kirk of the Hills Church.  A celebration of life service will take place at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church on May 26, 2026, at 11am.

Ninde Brookside Chapel | ninde.com | 918-742-5556