James Raymond Hanshaw

James (Jim) Raymond Hanshaw, of Tallahassee, passed away unexpectedly on May 18, 2025, at the age of 65, doing what he loved best, fishing. He was born on August 4, 1959, in Warren, Ohio. He proudly served for 4 years in the United States Marine Corp and lived in Orlando before moving to Tallahassee in 2002. He worked for Kia of Tallahassee before pursuing his real love and opening up his rod and reel repair business, Reel Repair by Jim, which was widely known and well-regarded in the local fishing community. He was also an avid Tampa Bay Rays baseball fan.

Jim was an active member of the North Florida Gulf Fishing Club. His passion was fishing the inshore flats and tidal creeks of the Big Bend area. If he wasn’t repairing reels, building rods, or watching a Ray’s game he would be on the water with his many fishing buddies enjoying each other’s company and competing for the best and biggest fish. Catching red fish was his specialty. You would also often find him out for a day on the water with his mother and he put her on fish every time.

Jim Hanshaw is survived by his mother: Diane P. Sproule of Tallahassee; his sister: Karen Hanshaw Raulerson and her husband: Jim of Lake Placid, Florida. He was preceded in death by his father: Jimmy Ray Hanshaw in 2003.

Funeral service with military honors will be held at 2:00 PM Friday June 27, 2025, at the Tallahassee National Cemetery, 5015 Apalachee Parkway. Immediately following, a celebration of Jim’s life will be held at Shady Hammock Farm in Crawfordville, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation be made in the memory of Jim Hanshaw to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Commission public-private partnership initiative called the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network (fyccn.org).

Tight lines, Jim. You’ll always be with us.