James E. Gwyn

Jim was born in Paris, Missouri – which he would tell you is pronounced muh-zur-a, not muh-zur-ee -- on November 23, 1932. His parents were John Ladell Gwyn and Idylle (nee Wilkerson) Gwyn. He had an older brother, John Dibrell, who was killed in a bicycle accident when he was 13 and Jim was 6 or 7.

Paris was a farm-to-market town of about 1,200 people. He said it was known as the friendliest town north of Dixie. There were three or four grocery stores and a shoe store in town that drew people in from the country, especially on Saturday nights. Jonesy’s was the local diner that is still there today. Jim’s parents ran the greenhouse and he remembered his dad driving into St. Louis very early in the morning to get flowers for funerals. His dad also built several houses in the community.

Jim attended Paris Elementary School. He missed almost a whole year of school because he had rheumatic fever. He lost the sight in his right eye he thinks when a school mate hit him in the eye. He graduated from Paris High School where he was student manager of the basketball team, and he remembered having lots of fun going to the games with the team. He also acted in several plays and did a lot of art work at school. His senior year, he was recognized as the most talented boy in the class.

Jim attended Central College in Fayette, Missouri for two years and then transferred to the University of Missouri where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. After he graduated, he moved to Chicago for work. While there, he earned an MBA from Northwestern University.

He joined the Oak Park Ski Club, where he met his first wife, Pat Tahpina. They married in November 1960 and had two sons, Chris and Jon.

In the late sixties, they moved to the Seattle area, where Jim had a new job. But that was when Boeing started layoffs, causing a ripple effect throughout the area. So, Jim’s new job didn’t work out so well. He found another position and moved to California while the family stayed in Washington. They finally sold their home in Washington and bought a new home in Westlake Village in 1970. Around the same time, Jim started as communications manager and then manager of marketing analysis at TRW Electronic Components Group in Westwood. Jim and Pat divorced in 1978.

Jim and Laurie met in a singles tennis club and were “just friends” for a while before they started to date. They were married on August 6, 1983, the hottest day of the year. For a couple of years, they lived in Jim’s Santa Monica condo. They moved to a house in south Westwood in 1985.

Not long after they moved into the house, the TRW Electronics Components Group was shut down. Jim went into real estate with The Prudential California Realty, where he was the top producer in the West Los Angeles office in 1990.

While not working, Jim had started learning about, tasting and collecting fine wines. Eventually, he put his hobby to work and joined the sales team at The Wine House in West Los Angeles, where Jim could share his love and knowledge of wine.

Jim and Laurie bought their house in Trilogy the first day they visited the community in May 2007. As Jim said, “it is everything we are looking for.” Jim spent many hours working in the yard, reading and playing video games. He was a long-time member of the Trilogy Wine Tasters Club and this year joined the Trilogy Chorale Club. He enjoyed and had an eclectic collection of music, including Mahler, Dave Brubeck, Billy Joel and Tangerine Dream. His favorite song was “In My Life,” by the Beatles. When he had a free day, Jim liked to visit the local casinos. He also enjoyed finding new and different ethnic restaurants. He enjoyed traveling with Laurie throughout Hawaii and much of the rest of the United States and to New Zealand and Europe.

In addition to his wife, Laurie, and two sons, Chris and Jon, Jim is survived by two grandsons, Matthew and Nicholas, and his daughter-in-law, Traci.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Corona-Norco Branch of Assistance League of Riverside.