Jimmie Wayne Francis

Anyone that knows me knows that my life has been one big rollercoaster ride since I hit Adulthood. Life hasn’t been kind, like I’m sure to most people I met James during a super low point in my life. Everyone around me said I was crazy, and how could I move on so quickly after dealing with my first life tragedy. Trust me, I never thought I’d love again let alone be able to be loved by another. I’m a very independent person, and a lot of the time to my own detriment. He surprised the hell out of me. He was kind, understanding and patient (yes, James). He let me take things at my own pace, and I fell faster than I thought I would. He met me when I was out of work and trying to find my way and never thought twice about being there through every step of the way. This guy would drive 30 minutes across town to help me take my trash out!

The way he looked at me, made me feel important again, wanted and needed after feeling like I had lost everything. He brought back things in me that I had pushed to the wayside, my childhood growing up around cars, racing, and the auto industry. He suckered me into buying a classic car, brought me into the car club community here, and mixing that with a love of Halloween and everything scary we had our passions. Although he took those passions further than I wanted to sometimes, it made us who we were. He just soaked in everything, and our love of pop culture and geeky stuff grew. Later on in our life, he bought me my dream car (stopped listening cause I told him not to lol) and our goal was to do the car shows together as a husband/wife team.

Life had other plans for us, and the rollercoaster ride continued. We welcomed our daughter, bought our own home, and struggled thru bad luck with employment. But the good times, all the cool stuff we did, always outweighed the bad. Even though I could tell life’s problems were wearing on him, he never gave up and always called me his queen.

James, you were the best thing that ever happened to me, the best dad I could ever ask for to Emma. Although we were two very strong willed people struggling to be heard by the other, that's always how I knew our love was real.

Losing you feels like not just a loss to Emma and I, but a loss to the world. There's a hole in the universe now that can never be filled. I know this year felt like the worst of them all, and I was not at my best self, dealing with it either. You never gave up on me, and God felt that he needed you.

My guardian angel forever.