James Morris Brimer

James "Jim" "Jimbo" Morris Brimer, age 80, of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away peacefully on May 24, 2025. Born on July 22, 1944, in Wichita, Kansas, Jim lived a life full of humor, adventure, service, and love for his family and is preceded in death by both his parents Elizabeth and Morris Brimer and his wife Cindy.

Jim’s early years were spent in Wichita, where he always lived in his own world and was raised with his three siblings Jerry, TK, and Kathy. Jim spent weeks wearing dresses answering only to the name Betty Sue - a young storyteller's auspicious beginning. Later, the family moved to Titusville, Florida, where Jim and Jerry were on a first-name basis with local law enforcement and were always top of the suspect list when things went wrong in Titusville. Following high school graduation, Jim enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, proudly serving during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a time that shaped his sense of duty and patriotism, apart from the time he fell asleep on watch.

Jim was proud that his dad was a rocket scientist for NASA and later worked at Kennedy Space Center where he met his first wife, Sharon (1966 -1973). Jim and Sharon eventually moved to Huntington Beach, California, and, in 1971, welcomed their daughter, Phoebe, a name Jim chose after reading The Catcher in the Rye. Phoebe remained a central part of Jim’s life spending holidays and summers with him after he moved to Las Vegas. Phoebe nostalgically remembers childhood vacations to places like Bryce Canyon, The Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, and Lake Mead. She considers Jimbo's greatest gift his unyielding commitment to a story - he sure could spin a tall tale. The landscape is dotted with wave machines.

Following his divorce from Sharon, Jim met his second wife, DuRene (1976 -1993), while working at Hughes Aircraft in Newport Beach, California. They married the day after they moved to Las Vegas. Jim adopted DuRene’s daughter, Sandy, forging a deep bond with her over the years. He would take her to the swap meet where he sold hubcaps he found on the side of the road while working around Las Vegas. Sandy remembers regular family hikes in Red Rock with the family dog Max. Phoebe and Sandy both agree that one of the greatest gifts Jim ever gave them was each other as sisters.

While in Vegas, Jim worked at the Jockey Club, and later became a cable splicer for Centel, a job that would shape the rest of his career. His leadership and passion for workers’ rights led to his election as the Business Manager of IBEW Local 396. His dedication to the labor movement eventually brought him to Fairfax, Virginia, in 1990, where he served as an IBEW Union Representative for the International Office (IO) in Washington, D.C. Jim was immensely proud of his work with the IBEW, where he fought tirelessly for the rights of the union members until he entered “retirement” in 2006.

Jim met his third wife, Cindy (1993-2024), while working at the IBEW Local 396 in Las Vegas, and the two married years later in Fairfax. He was thrilled to become stepfather to Cindy’s sons, Michael and Kyle, and Jim often said Cindy was the love of his life. Michael describes Jim as a man with a sharp wit and a big heart who never backed down when it came to protecting others. He also mentions Jim possessed an infuriatingly obnoxious talent when it came to being head chef when anything was being cooked in the kitchen (even though he never cooked a meal himself) - a man who always knew how to tell everyone else how to do everything.

Jim retired to Las Vegas in 2006 with Cindy where he found retirement to be unappealing. He finally bought the boat of his dreams (even if he didn’t get to use it much), and sought out employment to fill his time. He took joy in leading tours for Pink Jeep Tours and test-driving cars for Roush (he always had a lead foot and loved to drive). He even enjoyed cool evenings in Vegas driving a street sweeper and sharing tales of the odd things he encountered in parking lots.

Jim was especially proud of his granddaughters. For Jessyka, Phoebe’s daughter, Jim was a larger-than-life character, and she spent many summers growing up visiting her Grandpa in Virginia. She was by his side until the end, even quitting her job to care for him at home while that was possible. She became his most trusted companion, always listening to his ever-growing advice and offering a quiet place for him to share the deepest thoughts few ever knew. In his final weeks, it was often her familiar, trusted presence that could persuade him to eat, drink, or take his medicine. Though they sometimes butted heads — clearly, an inherited trait for needing to always be right — they always found a way through, their love and respect growing stronger every time. Kataryna "Kitty," the daughter of stepson Kyle and Kyle’s wife Amanda, affectionately remembers her Pappy Jim as a goofball, always pulling pranks, like shooting Cindy with a salt gun. Phoebe’s daughter Jasmine lovingly remembers Grandpa telling stories about his escapades - most above board, some not so much. He was as proud of the things he never got caught for as he was of the good deeds he did.

Jim is survived by his siblings Jerry, TK, and Kathy; daughters Phoebe and Sandy; his stepsons Michael and Kyle; his granddaughters Jessyka, Jasmine, and Kitty; and his Great-Grandson Kaiden, along with numerous other family members and friends who will miss him dearly. Jim’s memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew him, as a jovial father, husband, grandfather, and friend.

Never a man to be rushed, always time for things tomorrow. May he rest in peace.

No memorial service is planned at this time. Condolences can be sent to [email protected] or mailed to 8509 Copper Mine Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89129.