My late husband, Frank Hart, and Jim were first cousins. Frank admired Jim's many life experiences helping others.  One of Frank's fondest early memories was spending time in Kentucky with his cousin. My heart goes out to Jim's family who just lost a beloved father and friend.

We were blessed to know and spend time with Jim over the years.  We first heard of Jim through stories told by John Conn over their breakfasts together.  It was obvious he was such a good man & friend simply from the friendship he & John had cultivated and Johns admiration for him .  After John & Cyndi united we met Jim and from the beginning he was kind, welcoming and always treated Steve & me like longtime friends.  We were invited to join Jim and family at Spindletop for dinner and I remember how much laughter and fun we had all being together in such a beautiful & historic place making memories.  I remember spending a special occasion at Merrick Inn dining together again with laughter and stories of John & Jims friendship and Jim's life experiences.  Each time we would get together, we would find out another chapter of Jim's passions, hobbies and accomplishments.  He loved being a tour guide around the horse farms in central Kentucky and his knowledge of the area and love for it was always inspiring and he always had fun facts to share.  We will miss Jim and we both know how impactful the loss of a father/grandfather can be, especially those that are role models in those respective titles. We are grateful for John Conn and his genuine friendship, because through John we gained Cyndi, Abigail, Eli and Jim as a part of our extended family and our precious yet bittersweet memories, now of Jim and John, will always be a part of our hearts.  We love you all and we are sharing in your sadness & grief during this difficult time.  - Jamie Montgomery & Steve Monnig