I am a late-comer to these messages as I was off the list for a few months. I was very saddened to hear that Jim is gone. I too was one of the old-timers from Porshefiles and fondly remember many of Jim's posts. We too share a background of working with DEC computers PDP's and VAXs as well as a love of the 944. Jim had a great sense of humor and extraordinary humility which gave him the ability to present his trials and tribulations in a way that had you laughing with him, not at him. We communicated a few times and even met once but I doubt he would have remembered. Tonight I had a sense that I should check the rennlist messages that I had not read in several months and found all of the messages about Jim's passing. I read every single one and am heartened to know that so many of us considered him a friend and helped restore his car. Candy, i miss him almost as much as you do and my thoughts will always be with you and your family. My world is a far better place for having known him and will be a sadder place now that he is gone.

Steve Sapareto
Cave Creek AZ
89 951 Alpine White show queen
86 951 Alpine White parts car
85 944-spec racer
85 944 someday spec racer
bunch of other non-important non-Porsche vehicles

 

Gawd - that brings back some memories of laying under it when Jim couldn't any more and sent a shiver up and down my spine.

My son and I helped him finish a clutch job on that as well as some other work when he was unable to do as much himself. Candy used to come out and make sure it was US under the car and not Jim !


I miss him

 

Thanks for the note Matt. (from the list emails)
Best memories of Jim involve several Pizza Runs the Sat after Thanksgiving. Also several PCA events and wrenching sessions.
Jim came over when he barely knew me and help me install torsion bars on my 951, (Twice). That was a great start to a great friendship.
Dan

NOTE about RennWish as this could be confusing to some people. The idea of RennWish started with this project to rebuild Jim's 944 as he was under the attack of cancer and couldn't do it himself. That project completed as shown on page 9 of this thread. As that was happening, John D. and a bunch of great people were already had the wheels turning and took that thought and evolved it into helping build an orphanage in Hati. This expanded to add two schools as well. John and project RennWish continue to support the orphans and children of Hati as they recover from the devastating earthquake. He just returned from Hati and expects to return back in the next couple weeks to help with the recovery efforts. If you would like to help with this work, please click on this link or one of the stickies in this forum. www.rennwish.org
click on "Buy a Bandage" 100% goes to help the kids.
Thanks!

 

I too am (very) late to this commemoration, and I know I'm not really one of the 944 "crowd" so I hope you all will forgive this 928er's intrusion here.

But, having been pointed to this thread by another Rennlist friend, and having read through these 200+ posts over the course of the past two hours (by bberry, no less!), I am truly awed and amazed by the generosity and companionship of Rennlist, once again.

I cannot tell you how many tissues I have gone through, crying like a baby, while reading this fantastic, tragic, incredibly inspiring and heroic story of a fellow Rennlister, as he lived through such an awful episode in his life. The saga, as relayed here by his many fans, conspirators, and contributors, just blows me away.

I never knew the tale behind the genesis of the original Project Rennwish until tonight, which I have recently had the honor of serving through the Calendars, and my own tiny donation for the recent earthquake catastrophe, but my miniscule efforts in those regards are made so much more rewarding for knowing, through this anecdotal evidence, how it all came to be.

Jim, you were an amazing part of the beginning of Rennlist, and I wish I'd had the great privilege of having met you in life. Fortunately, your legacy will live on forever here in the hallowed halls of Rennlist. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say that I am honored to be a part of this community, however small of a part I am.

My belated condolences to Candy, and to Jim's family. Hopefully the roads of heaven are smooooth sailing for Jim!!


Thank you all for your tireless efforts on Jim's behalf. What a wonderful piece of Rennlist lore to share with all of us forever!

Thank you also, John and Jenn, for allowing me to be a tiny little part of your continuing efforts to improve the world, one step at a time, and for all you have done to keep this wonderful movement going, before and now, down in Haiti.

 

Great memories, and how they live on......

Jim always did anything and everything he could to help people, in a way, he still is.

Many thanks again to the kindness of the KCWS crew, you all are more than one notch above.

 

My 944 recently has an issue overheating, and I traced it to the relay.

Many years ago, Jim had sent me a DME relay to use to troubleshoot another issue.

Well, he said it was a DME Relay, but it was not, it was a relay, and I think he enjoyed arguing with me on the phone that it was indeed a DME relay.

It never made it back to him, I had left it on my workbench.

It came to mind, there is was and yes - it was the relay for my cooling fans.

Took a nice long drive in his memory.

Thanks Jim, for everything