A man should not leave this earth with unfinished business. He should live each day as if it was a pre-flight check. He should ask each morning, am I prepared to lift-off? Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider
This memorial website was created to remember my baby brother, James Charles Pearson III who was born in Tampa, FL on June 25, 1981 and passed away on December 8, 2005. You will live forever in our memories and hearts.
Jimmy was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident. He was 50 yards from his driveway when an elderly man turned left in front of him. There was no time for him to stop. The only injury was to his brain stem. If he had been wearing a helmet he would have walked away from the accident.
Jimmy was the very best brother and Uncle that anyone could have asked for. He was the single best gift that my parents ever gave to me. He was born when I was almost 6 years old. He was my baby doll, the kind that cries and wets. I don't remember ever being jealous although we had our share of sibling rivalry. He slept with my parents for the first 5 years of his life and when they finally decided that he needed to sleep in his own bed, he suckered me into sleeping with him. I think that lasted for two more years.
Jimmy was unique in that he would have rather spent time with his grandparents than any of his friends. Our great granny lived with us for the last five years of her life. She was spunky and full of life right until her sudden death in August of 1990. She would scratch Jimmy's back every night and tell us stories about how life was back in the early 1900's. I'll never forget the look on his face as I raced past him to tell grandpa that granny had died. She died in her sleep and I was the one that discovered her lifeless body. Jimmy was crushed but didn't dwell on her death. Our paternal grandparents lived in front of us so we were always close to them as well. My grandma suffered from mental illness and became bedridden. Jimmy would go up to visit with my grandpa while he sat with my grandma. Grandma died on January 1, 1995. It wasn't much longer before we heard that grandpa and my maternal grandmother both had lung cancer. They died within a year of each other. That was really hard on Jimmy. He idolized grandpa and I'm not sure that he was ever the same after he died.
When grandpa died, we were left with just one grandparent, our Papa Junior. Jimmy clung to him like glue anytime he was around. Just before I got married, our Papa started coming to stay weekends at our house. Jimmy would spend hours with him. It was Papa that inspired Jimmy to start his land clearing business. In 2003, our Papa was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It eventually spread throughout his body and after a two year battle, he won and went home to Jesus on December 6, 2005. We knew that it was coming and we had gotten together for a family reunion at his place in May just before we lost him. I remember crying as we got onto the interstate, thinking that would be the last time that I would see him. It turns out that I was able to see him one last time and take some pictures just before he died. I begged Jimmy to come with me that day but he couldn't bare to see him in the hospital. Jimmy wasn't available to be there the day that Papa died and neither was I. He was crushed when he heard the news but not for long because just two days later, he was able to join him.
I'm not sure what Jimmy's purpose in life was but I can picture him literally in Heaven with his grandparents. I know that Granny is scratching his back, Grandpa is shucking oysters for him and Papa is still supervising him as he makes rounds on his tractor. I can imagine that he stops every now and then to take my baby girl from Grandma's arms. He loved to take the boys for rides on the tractor and he taught Chase how to drive the Bob Cat.
There is one thing that I know for sure and that is that I miss him with every fiber of my body. There are times that I literally ache to be with him. I do find peace in knowing that I will be with him again. I can hardly wait to lay eyes on him. I'll run right through the gates of heaven and I pray that as I am praising Jesus, Jimmy will find me and place my baby girl in my arms. The wait seems so long....
