Our Friend Jim

I can still remember Jim Cecil at my baptism. I think the Cecil family was one of the first familys that befriended us when we moved to NewYork. His passing was a shock because I had seen him a few weeks prior and he did the typical Jim Cecil bear hug when he saw me. I can still remember the conversation I had with mom when she broke the news to me. It was hours after she told me about David Andersons death. I was completely silent because I could not believe what I was hearing.
When I think of Jim I can hear his laugh. It was very distinct and funny. If you were having a bad day and you saw him he always had a way of making you laugh so you would forget why you were having a bad day in the first place. Not many people can do that. Some of my best memories of Jim Cecil are when our two families would get together for Christmas. We would always have a nice dinner followed by a few games and someone reading A Christmas Carol. Us kids usually ended up falling asleep because we were so comfortable. We did that for many years until we got older and did things on our own.
Jim and Mary have attended so many of the Cain Clan functions. From weddings,baptisms,gradation parties,baby blessings and just good old birthday parties. I will surely miss our conversations at the office when I would go to pay my insurance bill and seeing him at church (the few times a year I do go). ajim really helped me through the hardest time of my life just recently. Mike and I were on the verge of ending our marriage and I was living with Amber except she and Grace had already moved to Virginia and he came to visit me at the house. We had a nice chat and then he asked me how Mike and I were doing. I told him what was going on and he gave me some really good advice. I only wish he could have been around to see the end result. I know that Jim was very passionate about the church and wanted others to know. He was a great hometeacher and was willing to do anything to help out.
He was like an uncle to us Cain kids and it makes me proud to know that he thought a lot of us as well. He had a sweet spirit about hin eventhough he was a jokester. I know that we will see him again someday. He will surely be missed.
Natalie