James Eugene Thurman

James E. (Jim) Thurman, 89, peacefully passed away to be with his Heavenly Father surrounded by family on Sunday, February 8, 2015 at Poudre Valley Hospital following a short illness.

Jim was born on June 27, 1925 in Bethpage, Tennessee to Tom and Daisy Thurman. He was the oldest of nine children. Jim served in the U.S. Navy during World War II from 1943 to 1946. He was stationed aboard a landing craft tank (LCT) in the Pacific theatre and was in the Philippines when the war with Japan ended.

While stationed in San Diego, California prior to shipping out, Jim met the love of his life, Jackie Ball. They married on February 11, 1946 in Franklin, Kentucky and moved to Loveland, Colorado shortly thereafter where they resided and raised two children, Cheryl and Wayne.

At a young age he began working in a shoe factory in Gallatin, Tennessee before he joined the navy and for a short time after he got out. After he and Jackie moved to Loveland, Jim became a shoe salesman. He managed Mock's Shoe Store in Loveland for over 25 years and then went to work for the Village Shoe Shoppe on Laurel Street in Fort Collins and managed it for another 5 years. In 1974 he went to work for Browns Shoe Fit Company on Oak Street where he was top salesman in the company every year until his retirement in 1987. His greatest enjoyment was fitting people in shoes that were best for them.

Jim was an avid fisherman and enjoyed fly fishing and tied his own flies. Fishing was something he truly loved and spent as much time as he could fishing the many lakes around Loveland and Fort Collins and fly fishing on the Big Thompson and Poudre Rivers and on the beaver ponds in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Jim is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Jackie; his daughter, Cheryl Peckham (Dan); his son, Wayne Thurman (Candy); 6 grandchildren, Julie Curtis, Lisa Buchan (Jim), Shawn Smith (Sara), Jennifer Moore (Ryan), Jamie Mendenhall (Shane) and Jana Hassler (Kevin); 16 great grandchildren, Whitney, Ryan, Haley, Chloe, Hunter, Levi, Ethan, Simon, London, Piper, Jacob, Ethan, Jaiden, Keegan, Emily and Kally; 2 great-great grandchildren, Colton and Brylee; five brothers, Earl, Miller, Charles, Dewey and Tommy Thurman. He is preceded in death by his parents; 3 sisters, Grace, Mary, and Sue and his grandson, Jeff Smith.

Jim was a long time member of Foothills Assembly of God Church in Fort Collins and enjoyed greeting people and serving as usher.

A Memorial Service with Military Honors by the Fort Collins All Veterans Honor Guard will be held at Foothills Assembly of God Church located at 305 West Swallow Rd in Fort Collins on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., reception follows.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Jim's memory to Foothills Assembly of God Church.
305 W Swallow Fort Collins, Colorado 80526.