James Thoms (Jim) Mayer

James Thomas (JIM) Mayer passed away on April 16, 2010 at his home in Deepwater, Mo.

Jim was the proud father of two sons, TD and wife Marjolein Mayer and their two daughters, Saskia and Sienna and Kirk Mayer; and his son, Brock; and daughter, Maddy. Jim was married a number of years to Linda Maureen Eastwood, the mother of his sons.

He is survived by his sister, Mildred (Milly Mayer) Kropp and husband George, of Otis Orchards, Wash., and their four grown children and families. He was preceeded in death by his grandparents, Burt and Mary Kingsbury and his parents, Ted and Pearl Mayer.

Jim was born in Los Angeles, Calif., on Dec. 3, 1942, and lived there until he was 6 years old. The family moved to Post Falls, Idaho, and he attended the Otis Orchards Elementary School through the seventh grade.

He then moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, where he graduated from high school and attended Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash., on a baseball scholarship.

His father was a professional baseball player and later a minor league coach.

Jim was a huge sports fan and competitor. He played American Legion baseball in Spokane, Wash., and had to take the bus from Sandpoint to compete. His parents were great supporters of all youth baseball programs. 

During his junior year, when Jim was on “spring break,” he drove to L A, was drafted into the Army and spent several years in Germany where he was in charge of recreational programs on base.

 He received an honorable discharge while on leave, when he fell out the back of a truck and broke his ribs. His unit shipped out while he was still recovering. Jim enjoyed stints as both a professional golfer and bowler, having earned his ring for a perfect 300 score!

He loved to fish, shoot pool, play cards and slot mac-hines and collect sports cards memorabilia. After working for Kropp Trucking, Jim became an owner operator and ran his own Air Freight Company.

Some of his happiest times came while coaching his sons’ Babe Ruth baseball teams in El Segundo, Calif., and watching them grow up and graduate from college.

Their relationships grew as did their interest in all sports and it was Jim’s love of sports that greatly influenced their college careers. Jim later returned to the Pacific Northwest and once again worked a short time in the air freight business, drove a cab and worked for Albertsons.

 He was looking forward to his 50th high school reunion for Sandpoint High School this summer.

 Jim’s legacy is his family; he was a great father, brother and uncle and longed to be able to one day see his grandchildren get into sports, but that was not to be.

He returned one last time to LA to see his family and there he met his friend, Jo Ann Vandergrift, who was with him when he died. He asked for prayer and we know he is with God, probably trying to coach everyone and be a mentor to young athletes.

Our memories of him are of a good man, a nice man, who deeply cared for his family and friends.

A graveside memorial will be held at the Pinecrest Cemetary on Pine Street in Sandpoint at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 29, 2010, with Pastor Rock Stewart officiating and military rites by the Sandpoint Veterans of Foreign Wars.