Our Tribute to Jim

We said goodbye today to an old friend who left us for the great campground in the sky.

Ted and I met Jim and Marilyn back in the 60s when the fellows both worked at the Cincinnati Enquirer. Our first adventure was trying to breed our Irish Setters but we never did get that to happen, but the friendship that ensued lasted for decades.

Many a New Year’s Eve was spent at awesome parties in their home and even as we moved throughout these United States, he and his wife Marilyn came to visit. Without fail, Jim would fix something for us around the house since Ted isn’t much of a handyman.

In the beginning we camped with our 3 girls and their 3 boys all over Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Later there were longer camping trips including one to the upper peninsula of Michigan where Ted and Jim tried to marry off our 12 year old Kristin and my niece Jamie to every young boy that ventured by.

There was a cruise to Hawaii, a plane trip to Arizona and the Grand Canyon, a train trip to Toronto, a golf trip to French Lick, IN and so many other visits in between. We celebrated Thanksgiving with them at our Florida homes. I believe they are the only friends who have stayed at every one of our houses outside of Ohio over the years except our last one.

As time went on and Jim and Marilyn took to the road full time, our visits dwindled since we too were gone so much. Our last visit was here in Ohio when we both happened to be in town. We never made it to their place in Alabama where they decided to settle down. And now he is gone.

Our lives have been enriched by the memories we created with Jim over these past 40+ years. I’ll leave you with the toast he proposed every New Year’s Eve.

Here's to the breeze that blows through the trees,
That blows the skirts off of young girls' knees,
Which leads to the sights that sometimes pleases,
But more often leads to social diseases.

Rest in peace, Jim. You will be missed by many.