Kathryn M. Novitskie (Pool)

So very sorry to hear of Jim's death...enjoyed band with Jim....he was always friendly, laughing and had a great smile!

Kathy Novitskie Pool

Thomas C Sherwood

James was one of those great guys....wish I would've spent more time chatting when we crossed paths through the years. RIP Jim.

Carol Griffin (Smalley)

So sorry to just learn about this. Jim was a great guy and used to blush when Maridell and I used to call him "Poopsie."   I have forgotten just how that got started but we were all pals in the clarinet section of the band. 

Jane Adair

Jim was just one of those really nice guys.  Like Carol, I played clarinet in the band with him.  We were a close-knit group. I am so sorry to learn of his death.

Kenneth Hise

I am sorry to learn of Jim's death. He was a great guy. I remember him from band at AHS.

Wayland L. Britt

He had had surgery for weight loss and has a blood vessel break while he was recouperating at home... by the time morning came, he was gone...Fortunately, Marla Notified me and I got back for the Funeral..I wish we had this media then, I would have let you classmates know..Funeral was nice, I felt really bad for Marla as he had undergone the surgery as an elective to provide them a better future...Such a nice man...and a good friend..he visited us a few times in CO.. I watched his family grow up..Jim always saw the good in everyone..and man do i miss him.

Robert Mareing

I remember Jim exactly as the class photo shows.  Always a pleasant and fun classmate, and we all in band and all of the other music-related activites had a special relationship by virtue of our common experiences.

Very sorry to hear that he passed away.

Now I really do need to get online Telegraph and read it regularly.

Marion Foster (Dimond)

Email to website from Jim's wife Marla, email address Gmabaker49@yahoo.com:

Jim never forgot his great memories from band. They were always a "Part" of him. He only stayed close to a few people from high school-- Wayland Britt being one of them. He was a true and loyal friend. Could you also add that Jim always cherished the name Poopsie@ Carol Griffin. 

Richard P. Stilwell

My wife and JIm's have been lifelong friends . I got to know him better because of that than we ever did in high school. Evey year Jim and I celebrated our birthdays together with our families at Castelli's Moonlight because his birthday was Jan 11 and mine was Jan 20. Ironically , the last time I saw him was when we did that very thing two days beore he passed,as we reached the 60 years of age  milestone together. His wife honored me by asking me to serve as one of his pallbearers, which I gladly did. A fine man; the world is diminished by his loss.

Ronald Frost

I seen Jim at Arlens Grocery store in East Alton ,He seemed like a conscientious grocey checker.I met his daughter Monica at the dentist,s office when taking mom in for a check up,Monica is a dental hygientist.