Robert James "Jim" Ham

1954 - 2021

Robert James "Jim" Ham
1954 - 2021
It is with immense sadness that we announce Jim's passing on June 11, 2021, in the presence of his loving and devoted wife, Andrea, and zoom presence of his beloved children, Dylan and Caitlin. Born February 14th in Grand Junction, Colorado, Jim was raised by his maternal Grandmother until age eight when he moved with his younger half-sister, Linda, to Carson City, Nevada. They were both adopted by their biological Aunt and her husband. Proximity to the Sierra Nevada Mountains provided access to the outdoors which Jim cherished all his life. His travels at a young age instilled in him the belief the "grass is always greener on the other side". He became an expert downhill skier at a young age and even traveled to Europe to ski. In High School Jim showed his talent in writing and even had his own skiing column in the local newspaper.
Jim attended St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico (2nd campus in Annapolis, Maryland) known for its unique Great Books Program. The original draw to the school was its proximity to Taos, New Mexico with world renowned expert skiing but in time he grew to appreciate the school's unique program that stimulated his intellectually inquiring mind and would have a profound effect on his life in years to come. Jim put himself through college fighting fires for the Nevada Bureau of Land Management each summer. He was active in the Search and Rescue team at St. John's College and was President his senior year. Santa Fe yielded the love of green chili of which he never could get enough.
It was at St. John's College that he met the love of his life, Andrea Williams Ham, and she met hers, freshman year in 1973. As with all his chosen endeavors, he pursued her fervently and won her heart. They remained together ever since being best friends for 48 years and married 43 years. They graduated together in 1977, two graduates of fifty that year with a BA degree in Liberal Arts. Upon marrying Andrea in 1978 at the Old St. Hilary's Church in Tiburon, so perfect because the cross over the altar came from Santa Fe and the old church, then a wildflower museum, was significant in Andrea's childhood, he moved with her back to her native California. Jim "adopted" her family as his own.
After attending a year and a half at McGeorge Law School in Sacramento where he excelled in Moot Court, he left law school disillusioned that the Law did not always mean Justice. In the early 80s he sold solar systems to large apartment complexes in Sonoma County. He was highly successful but when the tax credits Owners relied on disappeared, he turned his attention to another profession that was new, exciting, and rewarding for his engineering mind, Computer Programming. As a self-taught computer programmer, he worked for 17 years as an employee and contract programmer with many of the biggest upcoming companies in Sonoma County, including Hewlett Packard. He was in his element.
In their early marriage Jim and Andrea went camping regularly and even led Sierra Club trips into the Sierras in the dead of winter. Jim was a doer and his confidence rubbed off on his wife and, in some ways, opened a new world for her. They complemented each other in life. Jim and Andrea raised two children, Dylan and Caitlin. Jim was a loving father who coached or assisted coaching his children's soccer and baseball teams. He took his family on many wonderful multi day camping trips. He made sure the food and place they slept was perfect so they would love the outdoors, as he did, and they would always want to go again.
Jim was a true Renaissance Man and a skilled craftsman excelling in every activity he put his mind to and most he learned from reading a book. He was a voracious reader. He built multiple redwood strip canoes. He built fishing dories and prams on contract for a local fishing store. He loved white water and took white water guide certification river trips just for fun and took his family on many overnight rafting trips down the Rogue and American rivers to name a few. He was an excellent cook. He loved his annual vegetable gardens and his many roses. He created beautiful intricate Chain Maille jewelry late in his life. Jim loved to collect silver and turquoise jewelry on every trip back to his beloved Santa Fe. Jim made clothing including his own foul weather gear that he needed to wear crewing on sailboat races in San Francisco Bay. He loved to fish, rock climb and ride bicycles. Jim had a great love of poetry, and all his life had an affinity to the Irish, particularly W.B Yeats. He traveled to Ireland three times and loved anything Irish; Guinness, Irish whiskeys, and music. Learning that he was nearly 50% Irish from Ancestry.com only substantiated what he always sensed. Even after his first stroke Jim and Andrea travelled to Ireland, Mexico, Europe, China, and Alaska. Everything Jim did he did with such zeal and enthusiasm until, sadly, his health started to fail.
Jim was a survivor and a fighter. He survived his first stroke in 2005 at age 51. No longer able to work in his chosen field Jim pushed back, spurred by his creative consciousness. He learned he had a genetically inherited heart condition. Testing a newly installed pacemaker in 2014 caused the devastating second stroke and the subsequent medically induced Parkinsonism limited his life dramatically. Persevering for seven more years he participated in the swimming and weight training classes offered by the Disability Resources Department at the Santa Rosa Junior College He also participated in an Equine Therapy Certification program with the benefit of riding the horses for the students. He learned new respect for horses. Most recently he suffered multiple cardiac arrests, each one worse than the other and he passed away at Kaiser Hospital. Jim had a witty and quick mind. Above all Jim had an incredible sense of humor. After two strokes he still delighted his nurses with his pirate imitations. Arrrrr! He never lost his sense of humor.
On Jim's family's side he is predeceased by his grandmother, Florence Quick, his Aunt Betty Ham and Uncle Dick Ham, his biological mother, Betty's sister, Jeanne Maini, his half-sister, Linda Ham Bowers, and his half-brother, Steven Maini. Jim never knew who his father was.
Jim is survived by his half- brother, Mike Maini (Melissa), and his nephews Robert and Michael. He is also survived by his wife, Andrea Williams Ham, his son, James "Dylan" Ham Swift, his daughter, Caitlin Eugenie Ham Balderrama (Andrew), his three precious grandchildren Wyatt, Brooke and Briana and his extended family on Andrea's side including sisters in laws, brother in laws, many nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews. He leaves behind his constant companion for 12 years, his standard poodle, Doolin. Jim will be deeply missed as he was surely loved. A private family celebration of his life will be held later. Join us in raising a pint of Guinness to celebrate his life; "I will arise and go now and go to Innisfree, and a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made: Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade." W.B Yeats