James Childs died at his home on March 18 at the age of 63. He was predeceased by his father, Robert F. Childs III, and is survived by his mother, Suzanne Childs; two sisters, Jennifer Childs and Christa Childs; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Despite living with mental illness throughout his adult life, Jim’s kindness, generosity, and humor touched everyone who knew him. He was dearly loved by his family and by his friends at Solid Ground in Germantown, where he had lived for the past 12 years. A gentle soul, he faced his difficulties with remarkable resilience, finding moments of joy and connection whenever he could.
Jim especially enjoyed football, hot rods, learning guitar, Christmas, and reading about history, especially the Civil War. He kept close ties with family and friends, frequently calling just to say “hi.”
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. John Neumann Church, 9000 Warfield Rd., Gaithersburg, MD, on Friday, April 10 at 11:00 a.m.; viewing begins at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at All Souls Cemetery, 11401 Brink Road, Germantown, MD.
In lieu of flowers, non–tax-deductible donations can be made to Solid Ground, 9601 Stewartown Rd., Montgomery Village, MD 20886, or tax-deductible donations can be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness at www.nami.org.
