JAMES CURTIS OPIE BORN OCTOBER 17 ^TH 1946 PASSED AWAY ON DECEMBER 12, 2022. HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS SISTER KAY STIVERS AND HER HUSBAND LESTER, 3 DAUGHTERS LISA OPIE, SARA OPIE, JAMIE ROBERTS, SON JOHN PARKER AND HIS WIFE KRISTI. SISTER-IN-LAW BARBIE HALBERT AND NEPHEWS LUKE AND JAMES OPIE ALONG WITH THEIR WIVES KYLEIGH, RACHEL AND CHILDREN JOHN, PIPER, VIOLET, AND EVELYN. GRANDCHILDREN CAROLINE HICKMAN, DILLON OPIE, ANDREA HICKMAN, ALEXANDRIA GIPSON, WYATT AND GARRETT HICKMAN, AUDREY DEPESA, HUNTER ROBERTS, AND GRANDDOG BEAUX.  JIM WAS PRECEEDED IN DEATH BY HIS FATHER KERMIT OPIE, MOTHER VIVA OPIE, BROTHER JOHN OPIE, AND BEST FRIEND DAN HALBERT.

JIM WAS BORN AT CAMP KILMER NEW JERSEY AND SPENT MOST OF HIS CHILDHOOD IN MONTANA WHERE HE PLAYED COWBOY POLO, PERFORMED RODEO TRICK RIDING, HERDED CATTLE, HUNTED, CAMPED, RODE HORSES WITH HIS FATHER. HE AND HIS TWIN BROTHER JOHN ALSO SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TORMENTING THEIR BIG SISTER KAY AND GENERALLY DRIVING MOM CRAZY! HIS MOTHER VIVA WAS FOND OF QUOTING THE ANDREW SISTERS SONG SHE "LOVED THEM A BUSHEL AND A PECK" BUT WAS SURE TO LEAVE OUT THE VERSE REFERENCING "A PAIN IN THE NECK AND MAKES MY LIFE A WRECK'!

MOST OF JIM'S ADULT LIFE WAS SPENT IN LOUISIANA WHERE HE BECAME INVOLVED WITH HIS BROTHER IN THE OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE LIFE. DURING THIS TIME HIS FIRST AND SECOND BORN CHILDREN JOHN AND JAMIE WERE BORN FROM MOTHERS SANDY AND JANICE. AFTER YEARS IN THIS LIFESTYLE JIM TURNED HIS LIFE OVER TO CHRIST AND STARTED A NEW CHAPTER LIVING FOR JESUS. COMING FROM THE BACKGROUND HE DID HE FOUND GUIDANCE IN PAUL'S ROLE IN THE BIBLE STANDING PROUDLY AS A SERVANT OF CHRIST AND HOLDING THOSE AROUND HIM IN THE MINISTRY ACCOUNTABLE TO FOLLOWING JESUS' TEACHINGS.

AFTER ACCEPTING CHRIST, HE WAS MARRIED TO BARBRA AND DAUGHTERS LISA AND SARA WERE BORN.  DURING THIS TIME JIM WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN GIVING HIS TESTIMONY AND HELPING OTHERS THROUGH PRISON MINISTRY AND WORKING WITH TROUBLED TEENS AT TEEN CHALLENGE. HE WAS ALSO VERY INVOLVED IN THE CHRISTIAN SCOUTING PROGRAM, ROYAL RANGERS, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES IN HIS CHURCH.

JIM MOVED TO TEXAS WHERE HE PERSUED A CAREER WITH A LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT STARTING AS A PAINTER AND RISING TO BECOME THE FORMAN OF THE CARPENTRY DEPARTMENT.

JIM MOVED BACK TO LOUISISANA AND CONTINUED WORKING AS A CARPENTER WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY UNTIL RETIRING. HE ALSO SPENT MANY YEARS WORKING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY EMBRACING HIS PASSION FOR MOTORCYCLES AND FELLOWSHIP. HE WAS ALWAYS HAPPY TO OPEN HIS "INDOOR SHOP" WHICH WAS HIS DEN TO ANYONE WHO NEEDED A HAND.

FOLLOWING RETIREMENT JIM BATTLED WITH HEALTH ISSUES UNTIL HIS PASSING. HE WAS ABLE TO BE MOVED HOME TO HIS DEN WHERE HE WAS CARED FOR BY FAMILY AND PASSED PEACEFULLY SURROUNDED BY LOVED ONES.