Jim Haskin

Born October 3rd 1941 in Jonesboro, TN. To the outside world Dad was the quiet, shy type. If you were out celebrating his birthday at a restaurant, don’t you dare tell the waitstaff it was his birthday. He would cringe at the thought of all the strangers making a fuss. At home, well, that was another story. Bring out the candles and German chocolate cake, or any cake for that matter, and sing away!

On a recent and very close quarters road trip, Dad showed us where he grew up in the tri-cities area of Tennessee. He showed us where he went to school, the house he grew up in and the ever famous walk between the two. You know the one that he walked uphill, both ways, in 2’ of snow, even during the summer. He explained the only refrigeration they had was the creek that ran along side of the home. Our tour ended right next to an old church building where his father Leon James Haskin, and mother Regina are buried. His father passed when Dad was very young. Leaving his mother to raise him along side of his late brother Charles, sister Betty and brother Bob.

When Dad was young, he told me he was given a small black bible. This was the beginning of his life long journey and love for Jesus Christ. He carried that Bible around with him everywhere he went. It was either in his shirt pocket or his lunchbox at work. Every so often if the opportunity presented itself, he would teach a lesson he had learned from the scriptures. Thank you Pop!

After graduating high school Dad joined the US Navy. He served slightly over his 4 year term, due to the Vietnam War. He was a member of the Blue Goose Patrol Squadron #22 Crew 1 & 3 working as an electronics technician. Two of the four years he served in Foreign Service seeing the world. He never could tell anybody that he was a spy of course. They were one of the most prepared and most formidable anti-submarine warfare units in the Pacific flying the P-3A Orion.

On June 14th 1973 Dad married the most amazing woman that he could’ve ever met Nancy Ruth Jeffs. Beginning their life of 48 years together. Dad was a hard worker. Having worked 50 years for the Nevada Test Site. He was worn out and traveled a lot for work, needless to say being raised by Jim wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows.

He was pretty strict and swift to react at times. With that said he did always make time for his family somehow. At home he would put on these slides shows in the living room showing off his service years. Dad really loved to fly. “I remember one year Dad rented a twin engine Cessna, I believe, and piloted mom and I up to Idaho to visit Grandma & Grandpa.” Jeff (Amy) recalled. Daniel (April) says “Dad would take us over to Uncle Daniel’s house. I would go crazy on the diving board swimming. Dad would make me use the old vintage wall mount crank telephone to call for pizza or for whatever antic he was up to. He finally came clean to why he always took me to eat at a Mexican restaurant for my birthday… the restaurant was already decorated.. you know Cinco de Mayo.” I really loved our Thanksgiving celebrations up in Burley with our grandparents. Now those were the great times.

During the summer months he liked to take the family camping, target shooting or sailing out at the lake. He bought a Hobie Cat Sailboat one summer to teach us how to sail or better yet, to teach himself how to navigate the waters. Due to him being in the navy, We thought, he must be fit enough to sail as captain of this small vessel. We had a few good runs in that Hobie Cat. We seem to tipped it over just about every time we took it out.

Dad was a lifelong learner. If you sit next to his chair you will find anything from Popular Mechanics to the Torah and everything in between. Any book he was reading, you would find highlights and notes or little sticky note arrows helping guide him to the page that he may need to find quickly for next time. You will find a myriad of reference books with plenty of cryptic lists that only he could understand. Helping him learn his new language interests especially Spanish and Hebrew. He had the all the cook books too. Learning how to make the best Mexican Cuisine or baking the greatest soufflé. Although he never cooked, he certainly new how if he felt like it. Dad was just a wealth of knowledge. Just ask him about how to reload a bullet or what size caliber was bigger than the other among so many other things. He was always willing to teach you anything he knew. Dad was always just a kid at heart. When coming over for his favorite dinner of Munster Cheese chicken, a baked potato and corn, you would greet him with a what’s up ? He’d simply turn his eyes and look up in the air as if to say the sky, duh. He would never actually say it, he would just get a little smirk on his face as if he did. Oh boy did he love his chocolate covered raisins, you give him a case of those and either have to hide him so they lasted him longer or ration them out to him so he didn’t eat them all in one sitting. Most of all Dad cherished all of his grandchildren. Aleigha, Evan, Jordan, Zoe, Taylor, Cassandra, Brooklynn, Abragaea, Aurabella, Airalilli, Dayne, Kylie.

These past few years I was able to sit and listen to many of Dads stories of growing up. One memory I’ll leave you all with is his favorite bible scripture, John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I love you Dad.

David Paul (Michell)

Services will be at the Palms Northwest, Tuesday 10 am. if you would like to give flowers go to online link