I really don't know how to write this because I was so shocked and saddened to learn of Jim's passing. We grew up together in Alamogordo and lived just a few houses away from each other. We enjoyed playing poker and watching Oklahoma football on tv at his house on San Andres. We played tackle football in his front yard with other neighborhood guys which was sometimes pretty dangerous because of the large sprinkler heads in the front yard. We would swim in the pool at my house and then go to the pool at the Alamo courts and swim some more. We had a lot of fun together in Alamo. 

I was a year ahead of Jim in high school and after I graduated we went our separate ways for a while but met up again in Albuquerque while attending UNM. I had rented a small house in the valley my sophomore year and Jim asked if he could bring his keyboard and Leslie speaker cabinet over so we could play together. I had taken up electric bass. It was a small place and that Leslie cabinet had a big footprint, but since I had sold my drum set I had enough room for his instruments. He set up his equipment and we rocked the neighborhood there many times after that. People would come around and hang out in my screened porch while we played.

One time Jim brought over a big bag of groceries and made up a pot full of white beans along with a fresh salad and cornbread. I'd never had white beans and was somewhat skeptical of his culinary skills since I didn't even know he could cook, but he surprised me and made a delicious meal that we enjoyed eating on for several days. Jim was extremely generous and enjoyed doing things in a big way.

I have many more memories of fun times with Jim. He was such a great guy and a good friend and I shall miss him greatly.

My sincere condolences to his family and other friends.

Mike Markley

Anacortes, Wa

My condolences to Jim's family. I first met Jim when Missy and Jim came to visit the Domino's Billings Heights store that I was GM at the time.  From then to now I got to know him much more.  To this day I am looking to see if Jim's calling me to handle what ever he wanted me to do and i do miss those conversations immensely.  Through those daily conversations he taught me to be a better employee for him and even more a better person for this world.  I just want to thank you very much for the knowledge you have handed down to me and I will forever be grateful. 

Joe

I have been thinking about my brother for many weeks now and remembering many events in our lives. Jim was 4.5 years older than me and quite an influence in my life. In one of my earliest memories when I'm about 3 years old we are supposed to go to sleep in the bedroom we shared as small kids in our little old house, but we were bouncing on the beds and giggling. We are told to “settle down” and then in the dark Jim tried to teach me to whistle like our dad could thru pursed lips. Dad could whistle beautiful melodies that way and I wanted to, but never did catch on despite Jim's patience in trying to teach me.

Jim was obsessed with baseball at that time and the NY Yankees were our team. Micky Mantle was from Oklahoma like our dad and my was our favorite along with Yogi Berra. Jim taught me to throw a baseball and hit me grounders and fly balls to practice catching. I did the same for him and hours/days/weeks went by while he made me into a really good baseball player for a four year old.. I was crushed when I went to first grade at was told “girls can't play baseball at school, they have to play girls softball.” Softball seemed so slow and unexciting to me and I totally rebelled at playing it.

Jim also helped Mom teach me to read by the time I was four. After he got home from school when we weren't practicing baseball he would play teacher and help me with reading and math. When I could finally go to first grade (remember I was 4 years behind him in school!) I was already reading, could add, subtract and knew my multiplication tables. Being physically coordinated from baseball and ahead in school work set me up to be confident and succeed in school for life.

Hey don't get me wrong, Jim was a brother so he teased me and we had many spats just like kids everywhere. He was no angel... at least not then...

We bonded in our teenage years over rock 'n' roll, and our love of music lasted a lifetime. Jim's generosity was ever present and he bought a ticket for me I couldn't afford to go to see ZZ Top open for the Rolling Stones on Halloween, Oct 31, 1981 in the Dallas Cotton Bowl. A fabulous concert it was! That little ol' band from Texas, ZZ Top, playing in Dallas brought the stadium to our feet so Mick and the Stones were completely committed to really blowing our minds. That concert was just another gift he gave me in a lifetime of generous moments.

We were separated for decades while we pursued making a decent living in our different careers. We were able to be together more in recent years and he and Missy were always taking us out to the many fancy restaurants in Coeur d'Alene. Good times with family.

You are missed brother.   Say 'Hello' to Mom and Dad for me....

Melissa,

I was so sorry to hear of Jim's passing from Roger. What a shock. He was such an upbeat man all the time. He always lit up the room with Positivity. He has that southwestern and southern charm about him that showed respect for everyone he met. 

My heart goes out to you and his children and grandchildren in particular. I hope that you find peace in your happy memories. 

Love,

Julie