- February 21, 2025
Whoever knew Jim loved him. Humble, strong, and quiet but he could roar when needed. He fixed the broken, fabricated the unavailable, accepted G-d’s will while still dodging regimentation, structure, authoritarianism … but he would never have used any of those words! Plain-talking Missouri ‘southmouth,’ his gentle accent pleased people’s ears.
Jim was the firstborn child of Edith Allen and Jay Walter Sappington in Kansas City, Missouri. Soon after, they moved to Poplar Bluff, Missouri where Jim grew up and made many lifelong friends. When he was ten yours old, his beloved brother Randy was born, his true match in good character and warmth. Sadly, Randy grew up to become a tragic casualty of the Vietnam conflict.
At age seventeen, right after high school graduation, Jim enlisted in the United States Army and served our country in Augsburg, Germany in a tank brigade during the crisis known as the Berlin Buildup. There he forged friendships with his ‘army buds’ which lasted the rest of his life.
After honorable discharge, Jim began his lifelong career pioneering cable tv construction. He built systems in various cities in Oregon, Texas, and other States, ending up in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1968. He flourished in his work as telecommunications evolved and the company transitioned from Athena to Halifax Cable to Time Warner to A T&T, and finally to Brighthouse, from which he retired in 2003.
Jim married Roberta Weissman in 1982. They gratefully found each other after both had been married and divorced previously. Jim became “Dad” to Roberta’s son Gabriel and daughter Deena and raised them with deep caring and unfathomable love which endured for decades until finally, they nurtured him through his ‘C’ challenges his last year in this world. When Jim married them, (and he definitely married all three of them) he committed himself to fostering their Jewish identities and practice.
In 1983, Jim and Roberta had a child together named Jay Tyler, who was the joy of his, Gabe’s, Deena’s and Roberta’s hearts. When Jay was 21 years old, he was killed in an accident which drew the family even closer as they supported each other through the trauma.
As a parent, Jim had huge fun cheering the children on in karate, track, wrestling, weightlifting, diving, roller hockey, football and boxing. Practices and meets were frequent events in his life, smuggling the kids in the company truck and grabbing treats for them that they loved. Jim always was a bit of a rebel. With only one blood relative who lives in Missouri, Jim made our family the center of his world.
He taught the kids to fish, gave anyone who wanted fabulous boat rides on the Tomoka River and always made sure to buy grouper for Gabe when Gabe visited from the West Coast, and to get Deena the best milkshakes Dairy Queen could make. Nothing made Jim happier than making sure his loved ones were happy and well-fed.
When grandchildren came along, Jim earned the moniker ‘Silly Grandpop’ for his playful engagement with Gabe’s daughter, Talia Meirav, and son Jay Kuppel, as well as Deena’s boys Max, Dov and JoJo. The grandchildren have huge places in their hearts for Jim, whose love will always be a resource for them.
On one of Jim’s motorcycle adventures he experienced the enchantment of Blairsville, GA, and bought the family a getaway in the Blueridge Mountains. There he masterminded magical outings with the grandkids and campfires on Poplar Ridge complete with s’mores.
Again, everyone who knew Jim loved him. He was valiant without ego, generous without waste, loving without limit. He will always be riding his motorcycle, fishing, savoring a beer or an auto race, fabricating gizmos to solve problems, and slipping in country wit when you least expect it and most enjoy it. He was predeceased by every blood relative and is lovingly survived by his wife of 43 years, Rivka, and his adoring ‘stepkids’ as if they came from his flesh, Gabe and his heartwarming wife Sherry, along with grandchildren Talia, and Jay of Portland, Oregon. And in Atlanta Georgia, to treasure his memory Jim has Deena, and her children Max, Dov and JoJo, brothers-in-law Wayne and Michael, sisters-in-law Paula and Brina, nephew Adam and niece Stephanie and their beautiful families.
May memories of Jim be a blessing to all.
