James Dwight Kimble

James Dwight Kimble, Jr., 94, went to be with his beloved wife on Wednesday, August 31, 2011. Born February 26, 1917, Jim Kimble loved cars and motors. At 10 years of age, he started working alongside his father, and later his younger brother, Arthur C. Kimble, at the Kimble Garage in Fort Wayne. Their location at Harrison and Breckenridge was actually a relocation to accommodate an ever-growing business. The Kimble family also loved Lake Wawasee, where several generations of children and grandchildren usually found Jim with the cowling off an outboard motor or the motor cover in the Chris-Craft tipped back so Jim’s fingers, black with grease, could make minute adjustments so the motors purred with excellence. Jim became increasingly involved with antique cars, for his gifted hands and knowledge about a gasoline engine, no matter how old the engine was, was appreciated by antique car buffs who wanted to place their car in good hands. Jim’s other gift was making friends. He had a big smile for anyone who came in the shop and wanted to “talk cars.” Everyone was made to feel welcomed at Kimble Garage and later at “The Blue Barn,” where Jim housed his personal antique cars, his collections of gadgetry about antique cars, and his tools. After retiring from Kimble Garage in 1982, he spent many hours at the Blue Barn where friends and acquaintances knew they’d be welcome to come hang around for 20 minutes or all day. Jim and Donnie began to “follow the swap meets” in a big motor home, too, for they could combine vacation traveling with swapping and researching hard-to-find parts for increasingly rare cars. Throughout the years, the Kimble’s became avid square-dancers, even teaching square dancing to Girl Scouts during the years their daughters were involved with Scouts. They traveled in their motor home to Florida many winters and established friends down there who were also “snowbirds.” Jim was also a member of the Elks Club, Optimists and the Historical Automobile Association. Jim married Verdonna (“Donnie”) Claire Tuttle on August 2, 1939. They had two daughters, Lonnie and Julia Diane. Donnie passed away in January, 2001 after 62 years of marriage. In 2004, Jim moved into the Kingston Assisted Living Home on Winchester Road where he established new friendships and received loving care from the staff. Also preceding him in death are his parents James and Ruth Alma (nee David) Kimble; brother, Arthur C. Kimble; sister-in-law, Barbara (nee Burt) Kimble; and great-grandson David Thurber Rasbury. Jim leaves behind people who will cherish the memory of him and his good nature: his daughters, Lonnie Kimble Clegg of Sacramento, CA and Julia Diane Kimble Mast of Sebastian, FL. His granddaughters who live near Fort Wayne and have been the greatest source of his companionship: Dana Timmerman, Deanna Rasbury and DeVonna Miller, who are Julia’s daughters. Far-away granddaughters are Christine White, Ellen Clegg Nelson and Jennifer Maier, who are Lonnie’s daughters. Jim’s 10 great-grandchildren and grandsons-in-law will cherish, too, the stories of the friendly Grandpa Jim who loved cars and motors and a chat about cars and motors. His antique car buddies of many years will no doubt have a smile in remembrance of Jim Kimble. There will be no services. In remembrance, Jim’s daughters and granddaughters ask that you reach out in kindness to someone else when you hear of Jim’s passing, and remember what a treasure a friend can be.