James "Jim" Ross Tebbetts

Saturday mornings were filled by eating a bowl of Cap’n Crunch and watching Scooby-Doo, and adventures armed with his slingshot or fishing pole. As a young child, the family moved near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he developed his lifelong interest in cars. He and his brother John were always playing with Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. They had quite the collection. They would also make believe they were superheroes running around the house in their pajamas with capes on their backs and Lincoln Logs cans on their heads.

Saturday nights brought us a show on TV that was called “Hee Haw.” Jamey loved the show and would always emulate the knee slaps and armpit fart maneuver that would always bring laughter from everyone. His Uncle Tom would visit, and his dad, Tom, John, and Jamey went fishing. Worms were bait for fishing. His yard in Indiana had what were called “night crawlers.” They would go out in the yard with flashlights and buckets of dirt to catch and keep these “big” worms for the next day’s fishing trip. Jamey was just fascinated and couldn’t get enough of fishing, which was a favorite hobby for the rest of his life.

Moving to central Florida and always ready with a clever remark or a perfectly timed joke, his love for fishing remained, and he finally caught the “big one” while fishing with his dad. It was mounted and remained a prized possession.

As a teenager, Jim worked as a prep chef, skills he carried with pride into adulthood. He loved to cook and could whip up an outstanding pot of chili and was a grill master, creating a meal out of anything he could find. He later joined the USAF and served his country.

He met his wife, Claudia, in 1986 after being friends first with her older sister, Cindy. They were inseparable and married in November 1989.

His passion for vehicles also remained, especially Ford Broncos, which he rebuilt in the garage of his Lake Mary home. He loved lifted trucks with oversized tires built for tearing through the mud, where he brought his wife and sister on an outing and got stuck overnight, sleeping in waist-deep water.

Jim and Claudia gave birth to their only child, their miracle, Taylor, in 2001 after moving to NC in 1999.

Jim was a jack-of-all-trades and had a successful career in NC with sales in home construction. He loved woodworking and created many masterpieces. He was hard-working, loyal, and always happy even through all of his medical issues. He loved old movies, mostly westerns, and of course The Three Stooges, and had to watch the original Christmas Carol every Christmas Eve at midnight.

His daughter was his greatest joy, walking beside her on her first pony ride to teaching her to drive. The first time he taught her how to drive was in the big H2 Hummer on a tiny dirt road, which resulted in a little off-roading, which always made him laugh. They would watch SpongeBob for hours before mom got home, as well as Tom and Jerry. They were two peas in a pod. They would always go fishing together even if that meant in the pouring rain. He would sit there and laugh as his toddler daughter tried to eat the worms. They also spent hours at Bass Pro Shops looking at the fish and at all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurants, where they got cut off from eating too many peel-and-eat shrimp. They both loved to cook, and he taught his daughter many of his secrets. They also both shared a big interest in drawing and carving pumpkins together. They would always talk about cars together and go to car shows. They both shared the same love for the Ford Bronco, which we know he is driving up in heaven right now. They loved to listen to their classic rock together, but their favorite song they shared was “Drift Away.” These two shared so many of the same interests, which is what made them the best of friends and an amazing dad and daughter duo. No matter how far he may be now, his daughter will always have an extra fishing pole for him and will try to save him some peel-and-eat shrimp.

Jim was always full of life and loved adventures. He was never the one to just sit at home. He loved grabbing his family and going to an air show, movie, to the local zoos and safari, or maybe a day trip to the mountains or Biltmore Estate.

Jim never met a stranger. His friends all loved him, and many of them were childhood friends with unbreakable bonds. He will be missed dearly, and the world will miss his infectious smile and ability to make you smile or laugh even on the darkest of days. He is an inspiration and example to all on how we should live our lives each day…no matter the fight, be happy, be optimistic, be kind, and love to the fullest.

Godspeed until we meet again.