James Douglas Gustafson

Jimmy was born in Anaheim, California on August 16, 1962. In 1968, election night, his family left California for the long move to the East Coast and settled in West Hartford, Connecticut. Jimmy attended Smith Elementary, Plant Junior High, and Hall High School. He attended and was confirmed in the Swedish Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Hartford. He learned the printing trade at the West Hartford School Department Administration Offices.

In 1980, Jimmy joined the U.S. Marine Corps and attended boot camp at Parris Island. After leaving Parris Island, he moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland with his mom for a brief period before returning to West Hartford, where he worked as a printer and also as a clerk at Hall’s Market.

In the late 1980’s, Jimmy returned to Maryland to live and then to Orlando, Florida. In 1994, he moved to White Fish, Montana. In 2016, he traveled with a friend to Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California, Mexico to build an RV park, spending time between Whitefish and Mexico until his untimely death.

Jimmy loved Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. He loved all things outside: backpacking, rock climbing, and fishing.

Survivors include Jimmy’s mother, Cynthia Gustafson of Moody, Alabama; his father, Alan Gustafson (Linda) of Winter Garden, Florida; his brother, Thomas “Tommy” Gustafson; his sister, Janet Gustafson; his youngest sister, Barbara Taylor (Steve) of Vestavia Hills, Alabama; nieces and nephews, Patrick and Alysa Gustafson, and Mitchell, Morgan, and Megan Taylor.

Jimmy’s family would like to give special thanks to ALL of his Whitefish Family.