Thank you

Hi again!

I wanted to extend my deepest and most sincere gratitude to all who attended Jimmy's memorial service and/or reached out to our family with condolensces and support. Obviously, this has been a very difficult time for the kids and myself, but we are all getting through it with the outpouring of love that we have received.

I miss my Jimmy more than I ever imagined possible. He was my very best friend, and I will love him always. This was a very long and difficult journey, and the ending was not what I had hoped for, but I appreciated not having to go through it all alone. Thank you for being there with us.

I am trying to begin handling the daunting task of thank you notes. Please have patience, as this was a much bigger event than our wedding of 500! If you do not receive the appropriate acknowledgement from me, please accept my apologies as a few things are bound to have slipped through the cracks, and I may have some issues with addresses. I promise to do my best, and please accept this also as an expression of my family's gratitude.

For those who sent floral arrangements, they were absolutely beautiful. My house is overflowing with those special reminders, and I was able to donate quite a few arrangements to be distributed to local nursing homes and hospitals by the church.

The monetary donations that were directed to me or the Barrow Neurological Foundation will all be forwarded appropriately. The funds will be used to go toward neurological and endovascular research and also toward the ICU nurses training program. We have received an incredible amount, and I am proud to be able to make such a generous donation in Jimmy's name. For those that requested or sent their own donations to other programs, I will also handle those correctly, and I thank you for your generosity.

I would also like to thank all who sent or expressed kind words of sympathy to my family. Every card was read, and I hope we made ourselves appropriately available at Jimmy's Celebration. Thank you, also, for all the memorial gifts and the meals that were prepared or groceries that were provided. The emotional, spiritual, and physical support has helped to sustain us though this painful process.

Thank you, again, for all your kindness and support!

With Love and Blessings,
Krissy, Michael, Rick, and Jenna (Jimmy too)

Kris and Family,

The memorial service and celebration on Friday was perfect. We are sure Jim was smiling down and happy to have so many people celebrating his life. While there we realized that it was exactly 10 years ago that we worked all weekend on the end of the year basketball slideshow and our first date. If Jim hadn't taken a chance to hire my mom fresh off a move from IL, and had not contracted with Tim and company for IT support, who knows what strange turns our lives would have taken and if we would be married right now. We are grateful he did and that we were able to meet him and get to know him. From Sneakers to JRA get-togethers to catching the MLC at the Lookout, Jim will always be someone we recall with great fondness and a smile.

Love, Melissa and Scott Weigand

My Best Man

August 1986 Wedding, Jimmy, my best man

New York Subway 1987, Greg Krissy & Jimmy

Jimmy and Julie's sister Jenny

"Mr. Microphone"

Bachelor Party Limo

Heights boys bachelor party Larry, Van, Chap, Jeff, Greg, Tom & Jimmy

Jimmy, Krissy & Tommy

When I learned of Jimmy's passing I was out of the country with some buddies, I was at a loss for words on how to describe Jimmy to my friends who hadn't had the privelege of meeting him, a story my son's football coach told at his T-G athletic banquet this fall immediately came to mind. The coach talked about the Monks at St. John's University who's job it was to teach everyone they came into contact with that every breath is a gift, to be enjoyed and not taken for granted, as if it was your last. I know some of Jimmy's high school and college buddies may find it a bit of a stretch to compare Jimmy to a Monk, but the point I'm was making is that Jimmy seemed to, for as long as I had known him to understand this secret. Jimmy always found joy in each breath and you couldn't help too either when you where around him. Always positive, fun and complimentary who couldn't find joy being in his presence.

I first met Jimmy in the fall of 1978 we were both fresh out of high school attending a junior college and trying to extend our basketball careers, we hit it off right away. I just wanted to play college ball but Jimmy always the dreamer thought of it as just a stepping stone to the NBA. We both soon realized that the reason we ended up in a junior college is because we didn't have a future in basketball. We decided to transfer the following year to St. Cloud State, Jimmy roomed with Tommy Pesek his high school buddy and I ended up on the same floor as Jimmy in Shoemaker hall.

It was in Shoemaker hall that I realized Jimmy's knack for business. Like most dorms in the 70's parties were the norm and we threw some great ones, Tommy provided the tunes and Jimmy the beer. Jimmy would purchase a couple of 16 gallon kegs of beer for the party and sell cups for $5 a head, but to improve his margins he would purchase one good keg of beer and then a second keg called Keggelbrau (taste like swamp water) at less than half the price, he reasoned that by the time we got the the second keg no one would notice or care and he was right and thus he always managed turned a profit at these parties. For Jimmy making money always seemed to come easy, what he really struggled with was his other two careers, basketball star and rock and roll star, they never quite came as natural.

Jimmy and I loved to play pickup basketball at an old gym on campus called Eastman Hall although he always called it Clint Eastwood Hall, we played hoops their for hours several times a week. There was a basket mounted about a foot off the wall at one end of the gym and Jimmy realized that with a running start he could push off the wall with one foot and elevate himself high enough to dunk the ball, I can still hear the trash talking that came out of his mouth after each dunk, this maybe as close to basketball stardom as he got.

One of the greatest gifts Jimmy ever gave me was introducing me to and ingratiating me in with his Heights buddy's, who are still my friends today. I had a gal that worked for me a few years ago that graduated from Heights in the early eighty's and when I mentioned to her some of the guys I knew from Heights, Jimmy, Tommy, Van, Chap, Deano, Larry, Ricky, Joe, Mark, Tim, to name a few, she said "wow" that's the class of "78", she went on to explain that to this day they still consider that the greatest and most successful group of guys to ever graduate from Heights and Jimmy was certainly at the top of that list, it was an honor to hang with these guys.

In 1986 I got married and asked Jimmy to be the best man in my wedding. I've added above some wedding and bachelor party photo's. I particularily like the one with Jimmy in front of the microphone, as you maybe are already aware that this was one of his favorite places to be, "Mr. Microphone" as he enjoyed being called, and he made sure everyone at the wedding was entertained and had a great time. Jimmy by this time was already married to the beautiful Kris and we both went on to raise three great kids.

I've never been a huge believer that when our time is up it's up or that God calls us to be with him for a reason, but I'm becoming and believer and if God did have a purpose for Jimmy I'm sure it's to help spread the secret that the monks have been teaching for centuries and Jimmy already knew and that is each breath is a gift to be enjoyed and not taken for granted. I love you Jimmy and will miss you dearly but take comfort in the fact the someday we will see each other again.

Love, Greg, Julie, Paige, Nick & Holly

Kris, Michael, Rick, & Jenna,

I have tried a few different ways to get to you (unsuccessfully) so was very happy to see your instructions when I went to the blog today.

I want to express my family's sincere, heartfelt condolences to all of you. Although we haven't seen you as much as we'd have liked to in the past couple of years, your family has been in our thoughts alot. We loved Jim. He was one of the most generous, big hearted guys we've ever known. He had such a passion for life! We will treasure our great memories of him and his (your family's) hospitality, whether it be at your home, CrossLake, or our trips together to watch Steve's shows. He was such a huge supporter of Steve, we will never forget his kindness.

Kris, thank you for the blog. You are an amazing person and I admire your strength. Thank you for sharing this journey with all of us.
I know your faith will keep you and your family strong and Jim will be watching over you until you are together again.

God Bless,

Dianna, Ken, Steve Kincade

Dear Kris, Michael, Rick and Jenna,
It's difficult to express the depth our our sorrow over Jim's death. He was such a vital part of our Sandy Shores family and we'll miss him terribly. We'll always treasure the memories of his laughter, his wonderfully uplifting spirit and his music! Our family is truly blessed to have had Jim be a part of our lives. May God's grace be with you.
Love,
Gerry, Mary, Emma, Paul, Erin and Robert

Krissy,

We were so sadden by Jim leaving us, he was a true friend and I often thought of him as part of the Family. That's the effect he had on me and my kids, he would always make you feel like you were part of his Family, that's the gift that Jim had. His generosity and friendship will never be forgotten. Remembering the BB Days and the fun we had and the way that Michael and Chelsea matured by taking part in those years makes one say that Jim was a true Champion to our Family. Our prayers are with you and the Kids and know that Jim will always be in our Hearts!!!


Thanks so much for your Frienship,

Dave, Michael and Chelsea

Kris and family,
We are deeply sorry to hear about the death of Jim. Our family lived at 4920 Monroe Street in Columbia Heights, right next door to the Reynolds family. We all grew up with Jim and his two brothers.

Back in the 60s, being a kid in our neighborhood was the best. In our block alone there were over forty children our age, and it was like being surrounded by a huge extended family. We played hard, we learned the value of friendship, and we all shared whatever we had. Jim certainly brought these qualities into his adult life. We will always remember him fondly in our minds and in our hearts.

The Kukielka family
Joe & Beverley
Diane, Donna, Dale, Denise