Tribute To Our Friend, Jim

Last Friday our dear friend of many years, Jim, died. My husband and he became friends when they met in the Union Hall in Oakland, CA. in the early 1970s. They were both in their early 20s.
They worked together in a warehouse, and Jim taught my husband to play guitar.

My dh happens to have a wonderful voice, and Jim was a musician of great talent, playing guitar, banjo, and concertina exceptionally well. It was Jim who introduced my husband to Irish music and Sea Shanties, both of which he sings to this day. They shared a flat for four years, grew a huge garden, had dogs, and were just good, good buddies.

In 1975 when I met Fred he was driving an old VW bus. The bus would break down each time he'd come up to where I lived a good hours drive away. Each time it broke down he'd call Jim, and Jim would drop whatever he was doing and drive the hour drive to hook Fred's bus to his truck and tow him back to Oakland. Jim was also a skilled mechanic and could glue the bus back together again good for the next weekend visit. Fred assures me to this day that if it weren't for Jim he and I would not be together.

We have been grieving this loss for the past week. Still sad I decided to gather photos from years past together and make something to give his wife and daughter when we visit them later this summer, hopefully timed to attend the memorial for Jim.
Here is what I created:

Jim and Fred are goofing around in this middle panel. We are at a waterfall in South Oregon.

Jim was quite the environmentalist, naturalist, knew all the names of all the wild flowers and trees in the area.
This is the bottom panel, Jim and his wife on a cruise. The only time I knew him to wear a suit. He was more comfortable in old torn jeans and t-shirt.
Jim was a fly fisherman and tied his own flies and made them for a living too.


The top panel is on tye dyed fabric denoting the times: war slogan in upper left hand corner says: "Make Love, Not War"...photos of Fred and Jim playing music and singing...the song written is called "Leaving of Liverpool"...the last photo is Jim looking at his then 2 month old baby daughter.

Jim cleaning his guitar
Jim with baby daughter (now in her 20's)
DH/Fred being goofy in a hat Jim gave him this trip

We miss you Jim.

Your passing is a great loss.