James N. ‘Jimmy’ Blackburn, 68, a long time Sedro-Woolley resident, passed away on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon.
He was born on October 3, 1937 in Burlington, WA, the son of James Everett ‘Ike’ and Kathleen Conner Blackburn.
Jimmy graduated from Sedro-Woolley High School in 1955 and recently celebrated his 50 year class reunion in August. He married his high school sweetheart, Verna Bridge on February 28, 1959 in Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho. They would have been married for 47 years.
Jimmy spent most of his working life in the timber industry, mainly as a log truck driver. He spent a year in the early 1960’s in a logging camp in Ketchikan, Alaska; 25 years for Scott Paper in Hamilton and his last 5 years for Scott Paper in Everett.
He spent the winter of 1996 logging on Elizabeth Island off the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska with his son, Chris, nephews, Aaron Bridge and Kevin Jones and sister-in-law Margaret Bridge, who was the chief cook and bottle washer.
Jimmy ran the Log Dump in Seward, Alaska for his sons Chris and Scott along with Chuck & Royce Klingel and Lincoln Torgeson and John Tucker during the winter of 1999, and Verna wanted to spend their 40th Anniversary together so she flew up and spent it cooking for the entire logging crew, but it was a fun time spent with family.
He also occasionally drove a travel bus for Rainbow Tours for his sister-in-law Gloria, chris-crossing the states many times with senior citizens.
He was a very humorous person, loved jokes and kept the seniors entertained.
After his retirement, he helped his son Chris whenever he could with Blackburn Hauling and spent a couple of years helping his son-in-law, Scott Dills, with Dills Construction working on Burlington hill building logging roads, and most recently the Glacier and Baker Lake Highway and whenever he could with Junior Dills of Dills Creek Inc..
He loved the mountains and the family spent many years camping in the Caribou region in B.C., Canada.
Verna and Jimmy loved to travel and spent lots of time in Branson, MO., winters in Hawaii and Yuma, AZ. He also loved meeting new people and always wanted to see what was over the next hill.
Jimmy was a father to so many children who passed through their home.
He was a member of the Sedro-Woolley Volunteer Fire Department, an EMT and First Responder retiring after 25 years of service. He was also proud to be a Jack Daniels Squire in Lynchburg, Tenn. at the Jack Daniels Distillery.
Jimmy lost two of his best friends, his dogs, Tasha and Bosco, and leaves behind his farm puppies, Tippy and Bandit.
Jimmy is survived by his wife, Verna at the family home in Sedro-Woolley. His 4 children; James ‘Chris’ Blackburn Lily of Bow, Eric and Mervyn Blackburn, and Venise Dills Scott, all of Sedro-Woolley. 2 granddaughters that were adopted and raised by Jimmy & Verna, Veronica Lanphere Phil of Sedro-Woolley and Amanda Blackburn of Bothell. 7 other grandchildren; James Blackburn Tiffany, Tiffany Lewis, Devorro and Janae Dills, Travis Waldrop Brandy, Angie Handy Mark, and Angel Stephenson Mike. 11 great-grandchildren; Merissa, McKylee and Matthew Stephenson, Hanna, Mariah and Kiersten Waldrop, Alexis Handy, Arianna and James ‘Brady’ Blackburn and Colby Joe and Christopher Lewis; cousins, Robert and Mildred Conner of Blackburn, MO and Phylis Thibert of Burlington. 3 sisters-in-law, Gloria Walker and her husband, Francis, Margaret Bridge and Lydia Bridge; and special girls, Sgt. Dana Winters stationed in Korea, Jennifer Allison, Michele Lehmann and Socorro Coco Garcia; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents ‘Ike’ and Kathleen, his in-laws, Mervyn and Bernadine Bridge, a brother in-in-law, Keith Bridge and 2 nephews, Steve Neble and Tony Cantrell.
Memorials are suggested to the Humane Society of Skagit County.
Jimmy was so loved by his family and friends, and we will miss him. He always said that ‘You can take a man out of the woods, but you can’t take the woods out of the man.’
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, January 15, 2006 at 1:00 PM at Lemley Chapel in Sedro-Woolley with a fellowship gathering for family and friends to follow at the Parish Hall at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Sedro-Woolley from 2:00 to 5:00PM.
Services and arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.
Jimmy was a one of a kind guy, he is so missed by our family up here in BC Canada. We love the family that we adopted as part of our own.
Always missed never forgotten.
Love you Jimmy. ❤️