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BORN
1939
DIED
2020
James Packer Obituary
Feb. 19, 1939 - May 31, 2020
Campbell, CA
Jim, 81, passed away at home on Sunday morning, May 31, 2020, surrounded by his loving family. His passing followed a long, courageous battle with lymphoma.
Jim is survived by his loving wife, Lynnette, and sons Mike (Teresa), Mark, and Shawn (Nicole).
The son of Floyd and Gertrude Packer, Jim was an integral part of a large, close-knit family of 5 brothers and 5 sisters: Marv (Sally), Marlene Kester (Pete), both deceased; Ardith Gladson, Barbara Butolph (Stan), Vern (Janet), Larry (Linda), Donna Drozen (Danny), Nancy Comstock, Morris (Julie). Jim is also survived by his brother-in-law, Curt Hall (Diana) and sister-in-law, Clarinda Cuen.
A devoted uncle to many nieces and nephews, Jim loved spending time with all of them. He was a great story teller and enjoyed sharing tales about growing up on his family's farm in South Dakota and his adventures in Scotts Valley.
Jim was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and spent his early years in South Dakota. In 1950, he moved with his family to Scotts Valley where he graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1957. Growing up, he enjoyed hot rodding around the roads of Santa Cruz in his various cars, most notably, his classic yellow 1957 Chevy, which he spent countless hours restoring to like-new condition.
He moved to San Jose in 1969. He worked for the County of Santa Clara in the Transportation Agency as a Heavy Equipment Superintendent, retiring in 2003. After his retirement, Jim and Lynnette traveled to Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Boston and Yosemite. In the last several years, he enjoyed working in his yard, doing puzzles, and having a warm relationship with many of his neighbors on Pinemont Drive.
A celebration of Jim's life will be held at a future date.
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Memories and Condolences
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2 Entries
Gilbert Sotelo
June 26, 2020
Jim was a great guy. I came to work for the county in 1988 and Jim was my Supervisor. He was very strick in his ways as a boss and molded me to be a responsible young man. We became very good friends and he would always check up on me to see if I was doing good. He would always stop by the yard on his way to his Doctor appointments to catch up on things. He was a good man and he will be greatly missed.
Mary Ann Vargas-Sanders
June 13, 2020
Jim was a wonderful friend. When he married my best friend, Lynnette, he showed his love and dedication to his family. I have known Lynnette since we were freshman in high school. You could see the love and devotion between Jim and Lynnette. They were always there for each other. I will miss Jim with all my heart. He was always there as a friend with compassion and understanding. I will cherish the memories that I shared with Jim and Lynnette.
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