Dustin Mitchell James

He was born in Jacksonville, FL on June 20, 1988. He attended Sabal Palm Elementary, Darnell Cookman Middle and Stanton College Prep before graduating from Florida State University, where he was a ravenous fan of all sports beginning with FSU.

Dustin was a humble person of integrity, honesty and a man of his word. After graduation, Dustin worked diligently as an Account Manager for Commercial Fire frequently going the extra mile to satisfy both the company and the customer.

Dustin was a dedicated son, grandson, brother, cousin, nephew, uncle and friend. He was particularly proud of his relationship with his young nephew Jack, son of his brother Jeff and sister-in-law, Jill. Likewise, Jack affectionately referred to Dustin as Uncle D. Together, they shared many moments and memories from video games to sitting tandem on the riding lawn mower.

In concert with his love of sports, Dustin was an avid Jaguars fan and so enjoyed the games and hometown buzz. In fact, Dustin’s family made sure the Jaguar colors and logo wrapped him in closing comfort.

Beyond watching sports, Dustin played many years of youth baseball with brothers Jeff and Marshall. At the same time, he looked forward to sunny days at the beach, including vacations at St. Augustine Beach with his large extended family, boogie boarding, skim boarding, bocce ball and more. Later in life, he relished the opportunity to play golf and fish, especially when the fishing involved a day on the water with his sisters Melissa, Maggie, brother Marshall and brother-in-law, Jeff.

Dustin was adventurous often taking sports-related road trips with friends, as well as exploring different foods and restaurants with sister, Maggie. He also loved fantasy football, trivia, cooking and hanging out with his energetic dog Ellie.

Dustin was blessed with 2 loving and supportive parents – Jeff and Mary Ann; 4 close-knit siblings - Melissa: husband Jeff; Jeffrey Ryan: wife Jill, son Jack; Marshall: wife Clarisa and younger sister Maggie. Beyond Dustin’s immediate family, he was supported by, and cherished, his large extended family, comprised of many uncles, aunts, cousins, lifelong friends and neighbors.

Dustin was eternally optimistic, with an understated sense of humor, always finding the comical in everyday life likely, fueled by his attraction to stand-up comedy. If someone needed a pick-me-up, Dustin was the guy. We are so proud of Dustin for all he accomplished, his fellowship, his delightfulness, his whimsicality, his stamina and his on-going perseverance.

While Dustin will surely be missed, we were blessed that he was able to receive the Sacrament of the Sick before God held out his hand. So, we now have Dustin as our Angel and Guardian. He is pain-free and worry-free; looking down at us, from his seat at the Lord’s table.

We love you Dustin…and, will see you again. Save us a place.

A Catholic Mass will be celebrated at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, located at 11665 Fort Caroline Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32225 on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 1:00 PM. Reception will immediately follow, at the Family Life Center, next to the church.