Kirk K. James

May 14, 1964 – August 17, 2025

Kirk “Bluzman” James passed away on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at the age of 61 in Durango, Colorado. Kirk was born on May 14, 1964, in Texas City, Texas, to parents William Hastings James (Bill) and Alethia Charlene Kinard James (Char). He graduated from Skyline High School of Dallas in 1982 and attended The Art Institute of Houston.

After years of growing up in a devout church family in Dallas, and visiting Colorado on family vacations, Kirk made Durango his full-time home in 1985.

Throughout his life, Kirk focused on the creative arts as his trade, from making ski run signage at Purgatory Resort in the early days, to creating company logos, cartoons with plenty of satire, posters for events, becoming a Rat Fink™ licensed artist, to the fine art of custom pinstriping by hand, using the moniker of “Bluzman Pinstriping”.

In concert with the visual arts, Kirk’s passion for music led him to be a truly talented performer, playing guitar and singing to many audiences in venues ranging from backyard BBQs to grand concert halls. Studying the original blues masters with post-graduate fervor, his obsession with blues guitar led him to be renowned as not only a guitar player at the highest level of skill and finesse, but also a learned scholar of the history of the blues music form.

While accomplished in his creative skills, Kirk was a modest man that was most proud of others. He would reminisce about his parents’ careers, his brother Terry’s work endeavors and boast of his nephews’ escapades as they grew up. When Kirk and Mary Jo Royce were married December 27, 2013, he would become a devoted and caring stepfather and grandfather to numerous grandchildren, which gave him the pleasure of getting to act like a kid all over again.

Kirk was preceded in death by his father, Bill James; father in law Merle Royce and granddaughter, Kinley Mitchell. He is survived by his wife Mary Jo Royce James; mother Charlene James; mother in law Virginia Royce; brother Terry James and wife Susan; nephew Grady James partner Hayley Ohl; nephew Logan James; step-daughter Kristin Pettinger husband Matt and children Paxton, Peyton, Preston, Jaycee and Jentree; step-daughter Katie Mitchell husband Kelly and son Cooper; step-daughter Kassi Paxton and children Rhianna, Eli and Otto; Aunt Sherry Hanna and husband John; Aunt Barbara Fudge; Aunt Betty Dobbs; and numerous cousins.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the wonderful family, friends, colleagues and fans who loved Kirk with the kindness and respect that he always extended to others. We are all better people for having known Kirk.

A memorial service and celebration of life is to be held on Sunday, September 21, 2:00 pm at the event center of Sky Ute Casino Resort, 14324 Hwy 172 North, Ignacio, CO 81137. For those traveling to attend the event, special room rates may be available at the Sky Ute Hotel starting on 8/22/2025. 

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions in Kirk’s name may be directed to https://everloved.com/life-of… or to KSUT Public Radio https://www.ksut.org/ .

In honor of Kirk’s legacy, please feel welcomed to post photos, memories and stories online at https://everloved.com/life-of… where memories and words of comfort and condolences may be shared with his family.

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