Thomas Edward James January 08, 1967 – April 01, 2018 Share this obituary Send Flowers View/Sign Guest Book| Send Private Condolences| Send Sympathy Card Thomas Edward James (Tommy) was born on January 8, 1967 in Butte, MT to Mary Anne and Ed James. Growing up on the flats, he and his friends knew every inch of the Hawthorne School neighborhood. In 1985, Tommy graduated from Butte High School and following in his dad’s footsteps, he went to work in the auto industry.
Tommy had a passion for working on things. He went from building with Legos as a child to working on vehicles. Many people around town remember his smiling face from the years he spent working at Lyons Motors and J & C Body Shop.
After leaving Butte, Tommy went to work as a diesel mechanic working in the mines around Winnemucca, NV. Of all the places Tom lived, his favorite place remained Butte. He loved coming home to see friends and family and relive the good old days.
He also loved Wise River. He grew up in the Big Hole Valley hunting for the “big one” with his dad and friends, fishing the Wise River and the Big Hole River, swimming at Elkhorn Hot Springs, and camping with his firehall families. In his spare time, Tommy also enjoyed cooking, riding motorcycles, and listening to music.
Tommy never met a stranger…just about every person he met became his lifelong friend. This past December, following an x-ray, one of Tom’s doctors told us that he had a generous heart (referring to its size). We told him yes, everyone already knew that!
Tommy’s greatest blessings in his life were his two sons, Zach and Cris. He thought the sun rose and set on them. He truly loved spending time with his boys and being a dad.
Tommy passed away unexpectedly at home in Nevada on March 27th following a brief illness. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents. He is survived by his sons, Zach James of Bozeman, and Cris James of Winnemucca, NV; his sisters, Colleen (Mike) Fink of Butte, and Cheryl (Frank) Wright of Circle, MT; nieces and nephews, D.J. Moritz, Anthony Moritz; Jonathan Wright, Chelsea Wright, Timothy Wright, Kyler Fink and Carley Fink, aunt and uncle, Sandy & Don James of Lewiston, ID; many cousins; and friends too numerous to count.
Friends are the family you choose, and Tommy couldn’t have picked better friends. We would like to especially thank Brian Morash, John Grace, Billy Stephenson, and of course, Penny and Mike Raffath for the endless support and love given to Tommy. A celebration of life gathering will be held in Winnemucca at Player’s Bar and Grill on April 10th at 6:00 pm.
Funeral services for Tommy will be on Saturday, April 14th at 11 AM in Butte at Duggan Dolan Mortuary followed by a reception at the Copper King Ballroom. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Home Atherton VFD, Butte Food Bank, or a charity of your choice.
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