Family, community come first for longtime resident

If I could capture an image of Jim Parsons it would be the moment after the names of his grandchildren Garret and Tyler crossed his lips.

I would want to capture the instant he smiled and his brilliant, blue eyes brightened to reflect his pride and love for them.

Jim is the quintessential grandfather and his dedication and delight for his grandchildren flow out of him like a rush of cool, refreshing air in the mid-summer heat.

He says, without hesitation or a hint of doubt, "My grandchildren are my life right now. I've told my daughter, if she moves, we move."

My image would include photographs in the background, black-and-white photographs, softened with time, images from Jim's eclectic past in Sandpoint, which included a stint as a photographer.

A nighttime picture of Sandpoint's snow-covered train depot would figure prominently. It is one of Jim's favorites. He took the picture in 1960 and the softened light and framing are postcard perfect.

There would be a picture of Schweitzer, before it was Schweitzer, to remind Jim of his place among the pioneers there. Jim and his wife Clarice opened the first ski shop on the mountain and Jim watched Schweitzer evolve from its infancy.

I would include Jim's senior portrait from the 1948 Sandpoint High School annual. It is a reminder of the tremendous history he has in this town and the gift his life has been and is to its people.

Images of his wife, Clarice, son, Jim, and daughter, Linda would rest just over his shoulder. They are always with him, and he with them. It is clear he was and remains a wonderful husband and father. This past April, Jim and Clarice celebrated 53 years of marriage.

Jim's tan face and fit build belie his age. Years of tennis have kept him young and agile. He has served as president of the local tennis association board for more than 25 years. Only one president who preceded him.

Jim has a gentle manner and sharp wit that adds laughter to almost every encounter I have had with him. Driving around the Sandpoint area Jim provides a living history of the town.

He arrived in Sandpoint in 1945 after his father went off to World War II. He and his family came to live with his grandmother, Dr. Ethel Westwood, a local pioneer.

Jim left to serve in Korea as a Marine and later lived briefly in Seattle where he married in April 1954. After the wedding Jim and Clarice returned to make Sandpoint their permanent home.

Jim loves to fly and recounts his time in an airplane working for the Forest Service spotting fires and, later, taking pictures. His aerial photographs are nothing short of spectacular.

Jim is reflective now, having seen Sandpoint change a great deal over the 62 years he has called Sandpoint home. But he is neither enthusiastic nor sentimental about Sandpoint's growth. He accepts it as part of the natural evolution of the town and his unique perspective offers a welcome cheerfulness about where the town has been, where it is and where it is going.

I know Jim, in part, through my own children. His grandchildren attend Northside Elementary with my own. I have seen him at every event, and he updated me on those occasions I was unable to attend.

Jim's grandchildren also played soccer against my girls and he was an unabashedly biased fan … the divine right of grandparents. He jokingly refers to me as the abusive coach who, I might add, almost ruined his grandchildren's perfect season.

I have not seen a side of Jim Parson that I don't like. He is a statesman, a scholar and an ambassador for all that is good and right in Bonner County.

I have tried to imagine a caption for the image I have created in my mind and no few words can capture the complexity and contributions of this man. But I will honor him with these last words, "Jim Parsons, one of the greatest grandfathers I have ever known."

? Tim Durnin is a local Realtor. He can be reached by calling 208-946-7046 or by e-mail at timd@Century21.com.