Jim Vroom

He left us too soon. It happened suddenly, quickly and completely unexpectedly. The only consolation is that he did not suffer a lingering illness. He would have hated that. If asked, he would have told you he had lived a good life. He knew the love of family and friends, the pride in work well done, a long and happy marriage, travel and adventure.

James Edward Vroom, the youngest of Dewey and Dorothy Vroom's three sons, was born March 3, 1957 in Los Angeles, California. He spent a happy childhood in Whittier, California. He played football and ran track at Whittier High School and followed sports all his life. He would later enjoy coaching kids football for the Boys Club. He was an ardent and life-long Dodger fan.

Jim learned the skills and trade of graphic arts working for his brother, Steve. He was good at it. He was creative, had a keen eye for detail and liked using his hands. He took pride in his work. Later, he would return to college to further his technical illustration skills and add to his resume.

He eventually grew restless in Whittier and moved to Portland, Oregon, where his friend Ralph lived. Jim and Valerie met when he applied for a job as graphic artist at the publishing company where she was art director. Sometime later, they discovered that they had both been born in the same Los Angeles hospital and both grew up in the town of Whittier. They were meant to be. Sadly, the graphics and illustration skills he had spent years mastering became obsolete with the new computer technology. Jim disdained the sterile product of the machines, saying they would never match the artistry and finesse of hand-drawn work. He moved into the printing business and that was his career until he retired.

There was nothing he loved more than hiking into the woods and fishing in a mountain stream. It was his respite and retreat. He took countless hikes in the Sierras and the Cascades. Inspired by the books of John Muir, he hiked 1,000 miles through the Sierras on the Pacific Crest Trail. That trip then inspired another long hike and he and Valerie hiked 600 miles across Europe on the Grand Randonee 5 trail. He loved it. He would later hike the Inka Trail in Peru and do a walking tour of the Bordeaux region in France.

He gained a love of foreign travel after the European hike. There were trips to Paris and southern France, Copenhagen, the Netherlands, Norwegian fjords, Mayan ruins in Mexico, the Amazon and Macchu Picchu in Peru. His second favorite escape was to tropical beaches. He basked in those of Hawaii, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, and the Leeward Islands.

He loved parties and he loved music – rock, blues, reggae. It was a constant soundtrack to his life, and he attended innumerable concerts by his favorite artists – The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Neil Young, Elton John, Robert Cray, Ziggy Marley, to name a few.

When he and Valerie bought their first house in Portland, he discovered his green thumb, turning the property around their cottage, which had looked like a vacant lot, into a green retreat, filled with flowers, shrubs and trees. He built a fence, installed a patio, designed and built a decorative trellis and covered gate. He built several Adirondack chairs for their front porch. He took great satisfaction in his efforts.

After a trip to France, he developed a love of French food. He had never cooked before, but Julia Child's book, The Art of French Cooking, became his bible. He learned recipes and techniques from Julia and became a talented and creative cook. Beef Bourguignon and Shrimp Etouffee were among his specialties.

When he and Valerie retired to Sonoma, he was happy to leave the grey skies of Portland for a return to the sunshine of California. They set about renovating the house they had inherited from her father. He was surprised to find out how much he enjoyed designing, renovating and decorating each room. It was a labor of love, a project of several years. He was pleased with the result. This was to be their forever home.

He was honest, sometimes to a fault. He was opinionated. He held passionate views on the environment, on injustice and hypocrisy. You wouldn't want to get him started on politics. He supported the causes he believed in and protested those he thought were wrong. He was principled, kind and generous. He was a good citizen, a loyal friend, a loving brother and a devoted husband.