James Alan Poynter

James "Jim" Alan Poynter, age 64, of Largo, Florida, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 27, after a nearly four-year battle with stroke recovery.

Jim was born in Bryan, Ohio, on Feb. 13, 1961, to Larry and Linda Poynter.

Jim developed a strong work ethic from a young age, working for his family business, Poynter Plumbing. Soon after, he worked for Stough's Paint Store and picked up his own paper route for the local newspaper, The Bryan Times. In 1981, he followed his family to Florida, where he worked for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department. He went on to manage an ICI Glidden paint store for 20 years before pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams, when he opened a fine home furnishings store in Bellair Bluffs.

In 1983, Jim married his best friend and childhood neighbor, Bonnie Jean Hitt. They raised two sons, Christopher (Mary) Poynter and Matthew (Ashley) Poynter, and were blessed with three grandchildren: Kora, Zane and Owen. He absolutely loved his kids and grandchildren. Rarely did conversation pass without him expressing how proud he was of his sons for chasing their dream careers and for the families they had started. Some of his happiest memories were boat rides with Chris and traveling across country to watch Matt perform on drums.

With a passion for food and adventure, Jim took many epic trips throughout his lifetime. His favorite was exploring Glacier National Park with his family in 1998. He loved a good road trip and even spent several months in Hawaii during the summer of 1978. After introducing Chris to scuba diving, the two took their first father-son trip to Cozumel in 1999. Jim later sailed from Florida to Mexico with friends and took a father-and-son trip to the Dominican Republic with Matt. He was always planning his next journey.

Jim never turned down the opportunity to try a new cuisine and always believed you should try everything once. He was quite the cook himself. He loved sharing experiences, stories, and laughter. He could light up any room with his humor and wit. He loved fiercely, lived fully and made friends wherever he went.

Jim will be missed by all who knew and loved him. We can only imagine the party he's throwing in the afterlife, dancing freely once again.

Jim is survived by his father, Larry Poynter; his sisters, Terri (Kenny) Leppelmeier and Laura Merrill; his brother-in-law, Derrick Smith, Bonnie Poynter; his sons, Chris (Mary) Poynter and Matt (Ashley) Poynter; his grandchildren, Kora, Zane and Owen; and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by his mother, Linda and his sister, Brenda.