Even though I knew of the inevitable, the words "Jim passed away last night" hit me to the heart the other day. Though I didn't know Jim for eons or anything too deep, I was quite fond of his positive spirit; and plum just keep pluggin away attitude. I met him last Spring as he and my Mother Nancy Stiles became next door neighbors in rehab at Lakes of Montclova. Somehow we ended up with him at our maiden monthly family get together that fateful Sunday, and it sealed my desire to get to know him more, and just never leave a visit without seeing him smile. He had a cool little coughy laugh too, and no matter what he felt like, we could chuckle one out!! At that first meal, he just said matter of fact "I'm dying you know". Well, it set me back a second, but I knew how to handle it, as I had heard that before from another. I decided at that moment, to savor his being, and keep making that tall guy smile!! We lost touch when he and my Mom went separate ways, but fate had it in for us, that we would meet again, when my Mom ended up back in the care of the Trilogy Group, this time at Lakes of Sylvania. Guess what?! Without ever meeting another soul who would be living there (Mom was one of the First to pick out her own room before the place even opened), somehow she ended up choosing a room next door to Jim Williams again...............what?! Thank God. A familiar, friendly face in the newness and unfamiliarity of this situation!!! How blessed I felt as a daughter. Each visit, and every football game I could find him at, was met with an eventual grin..............a grin with one less tooth in it of late..............lol. No matter the fact he was on morphine towards the end or not, I could get that guy to smile! He told me flat out "I'm on morphine, and ya know what that means don't ya?". Yeah, I did, but dang dude...........you told me last April you were dying, and you celebrated another Birthday, and blessed us all (me especially), with another day of Friendship! I will miss you Jimmy.............I truly loved you, and thank the powers above that people like you are out there; to defend our GREAT COUNTRY, and to SMILE IN FRIENDSHIP TILL THE VERY END!