Remembering Jimmy

One incredible moment in time!

Isn't this a great picture? I fell in love with it the first time I saw it...the interaction and eye contact betweeen Jim and Gabe is captured in this single moment in the summer of 1999! Two brothers...

Jim always with his brother near...

This was taken in early fall near the woods by our house. It looks like Jimmy may be about four and Frankie about eleven. Jim's brothers were always protective of him and were never far from him or each other...even now, they remain true friends.

SundayTrucker...the early years...

What a great t-shirt! Purchased at Paraphenalia...a trendy kid's shop in Monroeville mall in 1976.... a long-john "t" embellished with Oreo's and a glass of milk! Talk about vintage... Jim could model with the best...even back then!

Jim had a style of his own!

Was there even a Kid's GAP in 1984???

March 3, 2005

I know this is an upbeat site...we all come here to laugh...to smile at the face smiling back at us.... and we look forward to the humorous photos and stories of Jimmy! I can't wait to check in each day... hoping someone will take the time to post a thought. It is a physical connection...we are able to tune into him whenever we need to. But the fact is...he is not here physically and there are a lot of you who did not have the opportunity to share the beautiful obituary his brothers wrote on that spur of the moment in March. So...here is the article that was published...a beautiful description of a beautiful young man! (Click on the article)

This is Rambo?? I think.... it's a vague memory of that dog, I was pretty little.

Gabe and Jim in Myrtle Beach!

Jim went to stay with his dad in SC the spring of his Junior year in high school....he mastered the technique of throwing pizzas that spring and summer! He was determined to finish school in Meadville and finally...in July, Gabe and Leah went down and drove him home! This photo may have been taken on Barefoot Landing..

Jim and Chet!

Jim introduced me to his friend Chet last November when we went out after the Sigma Chi Parent-Pledge dinner on the Gateway Clipper! What a great night...he was so happy to take me out to meet his friends in Oakland...Bars I hadn't frequented since the 60's! This was the only time Jim and I ever went out for a "taste" and it will always be in my "highlight films" of memories! We went to Peter's...Hemingways... and a few more spots! In one place, the elderly bartender was so far behind....all the pledges and their families were there...everyone wanted their drink....now! So, leave it to Jimmy...he stepped behind the bar at the hotel...emptied the trash...stocked the beer... washed the glasses and made a few cocktails to help this gentleman get through the hectic night! It was a great time! As soon as he stepped back there to help...all the pledges and their parents started chanting...."JIMMY! JIMMY! JIMMY!" Jim always brought a little light to someone's life...even to that little bartender in Oakland one Friday night last November! At the end of the night Jim insisted I meet Chet, who I had heard so much about! Chet was great and we ended the night with Sambucca on the rocks and Jager Bombers(?) . It was a great night....singing Nelly together in the car and closing the bars in Oakland! We even saw a fight at Peter's....those rowdy WVU fans! This past March, I had the pleasure of meeting Chet once again! He made the most wonderful CD for me..."Close Your Eyes...and Hear Him Sing"! It is a mix of songs that Jim listened to and one's I used to hear him sing when while I was doing dishes at his apartment on Walnut...of course...that is another story...

Jim and the Bottle...

This is a geat memory for me...Jim was always practicing with a duct-taped bottle...hence, the constant thud on the floor! It never bothered me...he was always so excited...so very enthusiastic to show me some new flair technique he pulled off of the net. He was like a little boy again...wanting to show me what he had just mastered! And he did master that bottle....I tried doing this...thud...thud...thud! What is so great is that he had the patience to perfect his technique....he always talked about going to Las Vegas to see the convention and competition.

Little Jim...Little Luke!

Jimmy always wanted a pet! In first grade he wrote a poem at school...

there is a mouse
under my house

he is my pet
the best pet yet...

First there was a parakeet named Lemonhead who had a brain tumor....then Bluebird the parakeet who would say "Hello Jimmy!"...Mario and Porsche the finches, who I eliminated with a single spray of Lysol...a turtle that made his home here for a very short time...finally Aunt Sue blessed them with a little Springer named "Attitude"....he was related to "Turner and Hootch" and destroyed anything in sight....Sorry Attitude. Then when Gabe graduated and was heading for WVU, Jimmy convinced me he really needed a dog for company! Attitude had an attitude but was incredibly brilliant...there was no choice but to find a Springer...Jim always said his Aunt Sue had all the answers! So we took Leah and went shopping for Jimmy's other best friend! The litter numbered about eight...darling little girls with beautiful markings...but as Jimmy stood there, over waddled this little boy...and he climbed right up on to Jim's sandaled feet and layed down. Jim was amazed and convinced that this little dog chose him and there was no need to decide who would go home with us that day! What a wonderful little dog...what a wonderful friend for Jim and what a loving little companion to our family! We all loved this little energetic, cheese loving, pasta gourmet of a dog! He rang a bell to go outside...never did his business in the house...always went to the basement with me when it was dark...was forever grateful to walk the dam...loved to be pampered at the grooming shop...and loved going to Pittsburgh to see Jimmy! As soon as I approached Oakland he went crazy in the car...I thought he sensed that we were near Jim's apartment...then I realized Luke was experiencing sensory overload from every burger, chicken and chinese fast food restaurant in the neighborhood! At any rate Luke loved his weekends in Pittsburgh and spent a few nights marking the blocks in Shadyside with Jim in tow! I always knew how bright he was and in January I wanted to see if he could understand Italian...yes..."Luca Brazie" learned every one of his several commands in Italian! What a great dog!!!!!

Jim and Luke!

...a picture speaks a thousand words! Jim loved Luke and Luke loved Jim!

Thankful for the memories!

I love this picture...Christmas eve 2004! Thank goodness Teah is a great photographer! Gabe and Leah popped in just in time to surprise us and gratefully we were able to share this past Christmas as a family...together! I have been collecting memories for that tree since each boy was born...Frank, Gabe and Jimmy each have a wonderful collection of ornaments that follow their lives...it's a charm bracelet of sorts...their sports, vacations, artwork, interests, childhood photos...I have Big Bird & Cookie, Bert & Ernie...Mario and Wayne...even Eric from Philly...ET...a Baby carriage...a pre-school photo...a popcorn chain...my paper angel...even the glitter covered pinecone from pre-school (Jimmy and Leah argued over those two pine cones!). A ceramic baby bottle with Me-Me on it. There is Darth Vader that I don't plug in...his voice sounds real...Princess Leah and Luke...A photo of Lukie, Dinosauers in stocking caps...A blue wooden dinosauer from NC...a little yellow school desk...a goalie net...a hang-glider from Nags Head...the Bungie-jumping Santa...a Mouse on skates from Disney...and a silver "time capsule" with the clipping of an accident that nearly took Jim a few Christmas eve's past. Our sparkling tree with nearly a thousand little memories!

Merry Christmas Jim!

Merry Christmas 2003! A tossle of curls and no beard! Of course by dinner there was a beard! That was Jimmy...always a different look...but always looking great...

Jim and his friends!

Remember When....

Jimmy was escorted home after the Harvest Dance by a police officer......

I don't have a picture of Jimmy and all his legos, but this picture reminds me of them. Jim was the KING of legos. I swear he had the most legos out of any person. I distinctly remember the huge pirate ship that Jim, Gabe and Frank built. It may look a lot smaller to me now, but when I was a kid I swear it was the length of the coffee table and just huge. Jim had sooo many different lego sets. It's funny that there are certain toys that automatically make me think of Jimmy: Legos, Shrinky Dinks, those capsules that when you put in water turned into dinosaurs, anything that was a dinosaur, and my buddy, just to name a few :-)