Obituary of James W. Blake

No one ever knows what to say, and words fail me now. So instead, I will tell you a story, and please forgive me if I use the word I too much. In the early fall of 1987, my mother Susan found out she was going to have a little boy. While she hadn't really planned on having more children, by then I was already 9, she was so excited. Her excitement was infectious. At nine I was pretty settled in to being an only child, but I was secretly jealous of all of my cousins and friends with siblings. They had a built in best friend. Of course I wanted a sister whom I could dress up like a baby doll, but I settled for having a little brother. That May, we lost my grandmother Alice, our matriarch who with Grandpa Leffhalm, founded this incredible family you see here today. She had a huge part in raising both myself and my cousin Donny, and my mother became despondent. Who would be there for her now with this new baby? Well, she needn't have worried because the entire village stepped up to raise him, each person here playing some part at different times. July 17th 1988, James William Blake, named for my grandfather Bill, rushed out backwards and upside down and breathed new life into our family. He became the baby of the family, the youngest of his 15 first cousins. He became everybody's baby. We lived with my grandfather then so he could help care for us and so that we could take care of him. He and Jimmy were best buddies. Wherever Grandpa went, he took Jimmy with him. He even willingly watched cartoons with the kid, he never did that with the rest of us. During those years he was a fun little kid who loved Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and thanks to all night gaming sessions played with my friends and our cousin Henry, he discovered video games. Sadly, in 1993, we lost Grandpa too, and Jimmy lost his first best friend. That was about the time that we moved to Cliffwood Beach and this time my dad Joe was there with us. There he met his new best friend John Brown and of course the Osmand brothers. We spent some very happy years there, playing on the beach, running through the woods, and terrorizing the neighbors. We even had a pool in the backyard, so you can imagine how popular we were, at least in the Summer. It also became where I met my husband. Of course with two Jims in the house we had to tell them apart, so we had Big Jim and Little Jimmy (yes like the ice cream truck). Our family had evolved, but we were pretty happy. When Jimmy was about 8, Jim and I got married. Now you expect a few tears at a wedding, especially when the bride is 18, but it was my little brother crying. He was so afraid that he was losing his big sister. Well he didn't, after all I had college to finish. Instead, now little Jimmy had a big brother to look up to. Jimmy's current friends may not know, but Jimmy named himself Jimbo after my husband. You see in the old neighborhood, my Jim was called Jimbo. I hated it and insisted on calling him Jim, but we were even because he changed my name from Sammy to Samantha. Jimmy so looked up to Jim and then my brother-in-law Gary, who lived with us for a short time, that when he hit high school, he became Jimbo. This is when Jimmy learned to love bikes, skateboards, and cars and continued to grow in his love of video games. Every year he had the best new system, and my mother made sure he got them. I did eventually move out to start my own family, and Mommy and Jimmy moved to Keansburg. He went to high school there and forged new friendships and started to become the man we honor here today. Unfortunately things were not easy for Jimmy. I don't think I'm giving away any family secrets when I say that it became apparent that Jimmy was different. Though each time they updated the DVSM, his diagnosis changed, Jimmy had both learning and emotional problems. We all struggled to navigate the schools' Special Education System. We jumped through every hoop, followed every doctor's order, and listened to every teacher, and sometimes it never seemed to be enough. Though for a short time I resisted my own destiny, it is because of Jimmy that I became a Special Education teacher. This is where my part of the story ends.You see, I didn't really know the man my brother grew up to be. It is Sarah, his long time girlfriend and his friends who probably knew him best. You see my last real memory of my little brother was some time ago after his cat died, and he wanted me. It had been so long since he wanted me. We sat and talked for quite a long time, and to me he was still my little brother Jimmy. The little boy I helped my mother raise. The little boy who loved animals, skateboards, bikes, cars, ICP and his fellow Juggalos, a loyal friend, and an amazing gamer. The little boy whom I once defended by trying to literally run over some bullies with my car. Hey, nobody picks on my brother but me. At six foot five he was a gentle giant of man with a heart bigger than the seas, but he'll always be my little brother. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to James' Family.