In late June 1996 Jim and Nancy moved into the house next to ours on Anglers Cove. We were blessed to have them as our neighbors for the next 15 years.
We remember Jim's infectious smile along with the style, grace and charm that he and Nancy brought to our Christmas gatherings and other neighborhood events over the years they lived beside us. While we had casually exchanged pleasantries for some weeks after they had moved in - and spent our first quality time of sorts together when a pine tree on our property snapped during a storm and landed on top of Nancy's company car in their driveway - it was not until Hurricane Fran visited in early September 1996 that our neighbors became our good friends. Our area lost power late on Thursday evening September 5. I met Jim outside the next morning as we surveyed the damage - not extensive thankfully - on our properties. Jim invited Sharon and me to come over for a glass of wine on their deck later that afternoon. That glass turned into a bottle....and then several bottles...from their wine rack and ours as we watched the sun set over the lake behind our homes and initiated our long term friendship. For many Septembers thereafter we celebrated that evening with our annual Hurricane Fran parties, alternating between Jim and Nancy's home and ours. Always a fun evening and a great opportunity to catch up on what was going on in their very busy lives and ours.
Jim and Nancy departed Anglers Cove in 2011 as did we in 2012. We remained casually in touch thereafter and a few times each year I would see Jim at a local convenience store as we both were putting gas into our cars. We would catch up briefly and, remembering the fun times we had in the past, both kept saying that we all needed to get back together again.
That finally happened a few months ago, as we met Jim and Nancy at one of our favorite local restaurants to celebrate her Birthday on July 11. We set a plan to get together again in November and that was what Sharon anticipated reading when she received a text message from Nancy last week. Instead, it was Nancy telling us that Jim had passed away. We were shocked and saddened that such a bright light would no longer be part of this world.
We are so thankful for the many years that Jim and Nancy were our neighbors and so very grateful for that one last wonderful evening the four of us spent together in July.