Robert James Cross

Jim attended schools in Great Falls, Montana, San Manuel, Arizona and New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1979 with a degree in Earth Sciences. After graduation he moved to Texas where he worked first for Texaco and later Chevron Corporation as a geologist. In 1989 he moved to Santa Clara, California where he worked for FMC Technologies and later Hewlett-Packard. He retired from Hewlett-Packard in 2008. Jim was an assistant manager at Michael’s, working there since 2010.

Jim loved living in California because of the weather. He enjoyed all outdoor activities especially biking and swimming. He swam competitively when his family lived in San Manuel, Arizona.

Jim loved animals. His family had dogs, cats, turtles, newts and snakes while he was growing up. He later became interested in birds, particularly budgerigars, which he had until moving to California.

Jim had an interest in foreign languages. He loved to annoy his older sister by texting her in Spanish, Russian and German. His handwriting resembled the almost impossible to read old German script.

Jim was musical and artistic. In high school he was in the marching band at O. Perry Walker High School in New Orleans where he marched in Mardi Gras parades and performed at half time at a Saints football game. He shared his artistic talents by making needlepoint pictures and beautiful beaded Easter eggs.

Jim had twinkling blue eyes like his Dad and both he and his brother, Jeff, usually had goofy grins in family pictures which still make the family smile. He had a wicked sense of humor.

Jim is survived by, deeply loved and will be sorely missed by his sisters, Gail of Hallsville, Missouri, Linda of New Orleans, Louisiana; his brother, Jeff and his wife Julie of Ballwin, Missouri; his nephew Thomas William Miller III and his wife, Emily and great nephew to be born in January 2021 of Phoenix, Arizona and his partner of 40 years, Brian D. Miller of Santa Clara, California.