James Roger Ready of Gilroy passed away on December 23, 2011. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on September 24, 1951, but lived most of his early years in the Canton, OH area.
He was married to Lisa Anderson for nearly 24 years and was the proud father of two children, Jared and Lea. He was loving brother to Richard and sister-in-law Diane; brother Steven Ready and sister-in-law Judie; sister Barbara Beasley, brother David Ready, as well as uncle to five nieces and nephews.
In his career as a visual merchandising consultant, he designed and created movie sets, photo set-ups, and window displays. He also had the chance to act as an extra in the movie, “Two Mules for Sister Sara”, where he played a Mexican napping under a large sombrero. He created set designs for movies such as “Night Shift”and “Splash”, where he met Ron Howard.
But his greatest passion in life was soaring through the skies as a pilot for the CIA Corps. Even more than flying helicopters, the job he loved most was being dad.
His long struggle with Crohn’s Disease gave him the opportunity to spend more time at home with his children; he also provided a safe haven for the neighborhood children who came over to play video games. Neighbors called him “Mr. Mom” of the neighborhood. He was dedicated to his family, including his niece Cristi Jackson whom he thought of as a daughter.
He defied the odds, living 40 years longer than doctors had predicted. In his last days, he told friends how much he loved his family and wanted to live as long as he could for his children. His son Jared said, “My Cup” by Bob Marley sums up my feeling pretty good about my dad: “Now that I lost you, I’ve lost the best friend that I ever knew.” I love you dad and will forever miss you.”
A memorial service will be held at Gilroy United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at 11:00 A.M., with reception following. The family requests that donations be made in Jim’s memory to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, 386 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor, New York, NY, 10016; to Gilroy United Methodist Church, 7600 Church Street, Gilroy, CA, 95020; or to the family for a tree being planted in Jim’s memory in Pacific Grove.
