James G. Lynsky

Where to begin – Jimmy was so many things. He was intelligent, endlessly curious, adventurous, a gifted athlete, remarkably innovative, hard working, honest and ethical – almost to a fault – and what a tease.

From the day he was born, he was the ultimate prankster and tease. For him every day was new April Fool’s Day. He was almost always late – meaning he rarely showed up “on time” to planned events or followed a normal schedule. He lived by his own clock. This was because he was frequently diverted by some unfinished project, or some new distraction or adventure. While this could be maddening at times, looking back at our adventures with Jimmy, we will be forever grateful. Grateful that we sometimes let Jim draw us out of our routine, everyday lives to accompany him on some of those side trips, diversions and adventures – surfing trips to Baja California, a new island off the coast of California to explore, hiking in Tibet or on the John Muir trail, exploring the coral of Australia, traveling in Russia, standing at sunset on a peak in the top of the Wind Rivers, flying over the Jordanelle dam, getting lost in some remote part of the southern Utah desert. So many rich and memorable times that we will never forget.

Jim was born in Columbus, Ohio, but grew up with his family behind the Iron Curtain in Yugoslavia. It is not a stretch to say that he grew up playing with the grandsons of kings and ambassadors and with the sons of princes. He never forgot the experiences in Yugoslavia and the contrast between the bleak and oppressive way of life under Communism and the precious freedoms and opportunities afforded in America. He talked about his love for freedom and for America until the very end.

Upon moving back to the USA and to the beach towns of Southern California as a young teenager, he began his life long love of the ocean. He excelled at school when he wasn’t ditching to go surfing and eventually graduated with a business degree from Pepperdine University. For several years he worked in sales and marketing in the tech industry. But he wasn’t cut out to work behind a desk for very long. Jim always marched to the beat of his own drummer. During his lifetime he worked on the oil rigs off the California coast and as a waiter on the Queen Mary and in Park City. He became a skilled pilot, a deep sea diver, a commercial fisherman and he captained and maintained his own boats. A few times he tried to move away from the ocean, but his love for the sea always drew him back. Late in his life that love for the outdoors expanded to the deserts of Southern Utah where he found endless joy hunting for rocks with his wife and his sister.

Jim was a restless soul for decades. Then one day he realized what he had been looking for, what would complete his life was someone who had been a part of his life, for most of his life. To the great joy of his entire family, he married his wonderful wife, Connie.

Jim had a way with people. He was loved by so many – by his family and his many friends, his stepsons and grandchildren, his parents and siblings, his nieces and nephews and let’s not forget the animals. He had a special way with animals. They all took to him – both pets and strays and even animals he met in the ocean and in his backyard. He just had an easy friendly way about him that drew others to him.

We feel blessed for the role he played in our lives and to have been able to play in his life. He will be dearly missed.

A Celebration of Life will be taking place at Recreation Park 18 Golf Course in Long Beach on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made in Jim’s name to the Anticancer Fund which looks at repurposing existing drugs to combat cancer. (https://www.anticancerfund.org/en/drug-repurposing)