James’ grandson, Nicolas, could not be here today, but he wrote down some thoughts for us which will be shared by his friend, Alena Owen:
My grandfather was an extremely special and unique man. Whether it was his ability to recall any member of almost any sports team ever. Or his rapid fast mathematics. Or his burning rage at how illogical the dice were being in a board game. I can safely say that I have never met anyone else like him and I doubt that I ever will. So I consider myself extremely lucky to have had him in my life. I loved him lots and he always loved and was very proud of me and Julia and Grandma. I wish I could be there to help celebrate his life in person. But knowing that other people have gathered to help remember him really shows that Grandpa made an impact in all of our lives one way or another.
Music: Linkin Park, “Shadow of the Day”