James William Sherman, always known as "Jim" was born August 8, 1958 in Butler, Missouri. He died on September 2, 2020 in Houston, Texas.
Jim attended Butler Schools. As a member of the Class of 1976, he became part of the third generation of Shermans to graduate from Butler Schools.
After graduation, Jim served in the United States Navy, being assigned to a nuclear submarine based out of New London, Connecticut. He was honorably discharged in 1981 and then located to Kansas City, Missouri. In 1986, he moved to Houston, Texas, where he made his home until his death.
Jim worked in the plumbing industry and wrote for the Houston Chronicle before returning to his farming roots and developing a passion for gardening. He passed his love and knowledge to countless urban kids through Seed to Soil and the Black United Fund of Texas. He taught them how to build, plant and harvest a garden which would benefit them in numerous ways. His lessons always started with a hug. If you would like to see Jim at work through Seeds to Soil, you will find him at sots_seedsofthesoil on Instagram.
Jim had a deep love of dogs. In his childhood Penny and Sugar were the first of the family pets. Then came Mia, a pure-bred collie who became Jim's and Sheri's constant companion. When they made their own homes, Mia was always the first to greet them when they returned and always the last to watch them drive away. At Jim's passing, he leaves Brownie, a border collie mix, Murphy, a Jack Russell mix, and Brother and Sister, siblings of a who-knows-what mix.
Jim leaves his sister, Sheri, of Indiana and her husband Keith, close cousins, Ellen Wheet of Fort Worth, Texas, Sharon Tourtillott of Rich Hill, Missouri, Alan McCoy of Cincinnati, Ohio and Barbara McCoy of Pinole, California. He also leaves Nathan Hawthorne and Marcus Glenn, his close friends and working partners of Houston, Texas. Jim also leaves behind his aunts, uncles, cousins and many, many friends.
Jim was a treasure trove of knowledge who loved to read and visit with people. He lived a fiercely independent life with a huge appreciation of nature and humanity. Jim's family and friends are not asking for any monetary contributions, but, rather do something in Jim's honor, such as:
--Have a conversation without a cell phone in your hand
--Help someone with a task
--Read a book
--Rescue an animal
--Be kind to an animal
--Plant a plant
--Visit with the check out clerks
--Give a hug
--Go for a walk
--Visit a museum or art gallery
--Appreciate the simple things in life.
