Jim Ames, after a long battle with emphysema, passed away at his daughter’s home, with her at his side. He was preceded in death by the love of his life, his wife of 62 years, Paula Ames, who passed away on December 23, 2005 and his daughter Kim Ames, who passed away on February 2, 2002.
He is survived by his daughter, Leslie Ames, who he had lived with for the last 4 years.
Jim grew up during the great depression. His story was that he walked 3 miles in the snow to school with cardboard in his shoes, because they could not afford half soles for his old shoes. Every year he told the story; the snow got deeper, the distance longer and the old shoes had more cardboard.
He grew up in Ohio, and after a couple of years of college, he dropped out to go to work for his uncle, vice president of General Motors, in New York. Then Pearl Harbor was bombed, and like many of his generation, he joined the service.
Jim spent 20 years of his life in the military. He was a bombardier on B29 Bombers and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of many awards. The Distinguished Flying Cross was earned for saving the lives of his crew by disengaging a bomb that would not release. It was during WWII while stationed in Gilroy, he met his wife, a native of Half Moon Bay, and one month later they married. Jim was also called to duty in the Korean War as a navigator. He always said he loved the service, but knew it was hard on his wife and children.
After the military career, and living in Japan and Okinawa, and many different states, Jim brought his family back home to California. The adjustment from service life was very difficult. He went from being a Captain in the Air Force to working odd jobs. He started working as a warehouse man in a furniture store in Santa Clara called Maple City. He worked his way up the ladder to manager and ending up buying and running his store for 20 years.
Jim was a devoted family man. When his wife, Paula Ames, had an aneurysm, he spent night and day by her side for 4 months. He sold his furniture store, Maple City, to devote his time to helping his wife back to good health. His wife closed her 3 real estate offices, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister, and they moved to North Carolna looking for a small town like what Morgan Hill used to be. There they opened another real estate office; a store for handmade quilts and other local crafts, and started a Chamber of Commerce. Jim also was involved in Meals on Wheels to help the elderly and shut-ins, making sure they had company and food. After about 6 years in North Carolina, they returned to Morgan Hill because of the cold winters and their health.
When asked what he enjoyed, he said going to the Elks, running his store and on his one day off, he loved working in his yards. He loved their old farm house, his lawns and gardens. His favorite food was his wife’s homemade hamburgers. Jim loved watching baseball and football. Most of all, Jim loved, and was devoted, to his wife and daughters. Jim always had a smile and a corny joke, which he usually made up. He was a good, honest, kind man, who was always ready to help anyone who needed it. Jim will be missed by all who knew and loved him. Jim Ames was devoted to family and country.
