Jimmy James lived 90 fulfilling years focused on his love of people and the outdoors.
Starting at the age of 6, he sailed his first boat, the HutHut, in Lynnwood Harbor on Bainbridge Island. At 13, he sailed for 3 days with a pal and a bag of peanut butter sandwiches to the South Sound, and in his late teens, he sailed flatties competitively throughout Puget Sound. By his 20’s he was sailing with his young family to Friday Harbor.
In November of 1984, he married Mary McClure. Their son Tom was born in December of 1985 and in April of 1986, they continued the sailing journey by buying a 27 foot Santana, Bodacious. Bodacious was actively used by Jimmy and Mary to sail the Salish Sea including three circumnavigations of Vancouver Island. The boat remains moored at the Kingston Marina, is still used by the family ~ his toddler grandson enjoyed his first trip to the San Juans Summer of 2019.
Jimmy certainly was an active sailor, but it wasn’t his only passion. He was also a skier, a climbing instructor, winter first aid instructor, and an EMT. He was on the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol for 34 years, the King County Search and Rescue Team, and an avid hiker. He was part of the Mountaineers and helped form its Kitsap Branch. He was a teacher and advocate for so many in the sports that he loved. In fact, Captain Puget (a TV show from Seattle’s past) filmed Jimmy’s pioneering 50 mile traverse of the Olympic Bailey Range, no doubt inspiring countless people to get involved with true backpacking.
Jimmy has served his country and his community. As a Korean War era Marine, Jimmy utilized his service experience to establish Jimmy James Antenna Service, installing many of Seattle’s early radio antennas and elevator music systems, including on top of Seattle’s Space Needle. He was disappointed that Boeing’s “turning out the lights” in 1971 led to his business closing as well. He became a CPA, encouraging other small businesses to success, but never truly loved it so much as climbing up people’s roofs and fiddling around with electronic gizmos.
He was a long-time member of the Seattle Yacht Club and contributed as their Membership Chair for several years. Jimmy was behind the creation of the SYC’s Special Peoples Cruise and served as its Santa Claus. It is told that he once brought a bunch of bananas to hand out to the kids, from which the phrase “Santa has gone bananas” emerged.
Jimmy and Mary moved to the James’ Family Beach Place on Appletree Cove in 1989 and soon joined the Kingston Cove Yacht Club, It was a homecoming of sorts, as his Mom Edie James was one of KCYC’s founding members.
He loved Kingston and its Marina. Prior to the Port of Kingston buying the Marina from Dick Hill, Jimmy formed a business partnership ~ Penmar Marine LLC ~ hoping to own and operate the Kingston Marina. Over the decades, he was active in many Kingston organizations, from long-ago Chamber of Commerce President to the recent founding Board of Sail Kingston Cove.
Jimmy and Mary enjoyed celebrating their 35 year marriage this past November. Jimmy’s last 5 years provided him a run of health issues; he finally passed in peace with Mary at his side. Having a hand in the raising of 6 young family members, he has imparted a love of the water and sailing to the family. Coupled with the countless lives that Jimmy touched, he has left a legacy of respect for outdoor activities and the PNW