We are here today under the eyes of God for two
very important reasons, to mourn the loss of a great man, but more importantly
to celebrate his life! He was a great friend, a caring friend, a cherished
friend, a wonderful and loving father, a devoted husband, a beloved son,
and a fantastic brother and uncle.Jim touched our lives in many ways, some we talk
about, and some we don’t! We need to keep those thoughts of Jim close to
us as we continue on with our lives. Jim would have wanted it that way.
Of course we are very sad about this unfortunate situation, but we need
to understand that we are all better people for knowing him. I know that
I am. I loved Jim, as a friend, and as a brother. I feel blessed that he
was a part of my life for over 20 years as a close friend. I became a more
compassionate person because of Jim.My father often speaks about how fortunate I am
to have such a close circle of friends, and we must always remember that
that circle has not been broken by the passing of one of those friends,
but strengthened by the memory of what Jim brought to our lives. Most people
will go through their life with only a couple of close friends, but I feel
blessed that my life was touched not only by Jimmy, but also by a truly
remarkable group of friends. My wish is that we stay forever bound together
because of what Jim brought to our lives.Jim was a good man; he was generous, thoughtful,
and caring of others. Jim always had a good time, and did it in grand style.
His laugh was so contagious that if you heard it, and we all have many
times, no matter how you felt you laughed with him. Sometimes you even
laughed the same way! We have all laughed at the quirky things that he
did! The way he rubbed his feet together when he took off his shoes. The
way his shirts would stand up in the corner like cardboard because of the
starch he liked. The fact that his wranglers were the only ones with a
perfect crease right down the middle, and the way that he would get up
in the middle of the night just to enjoy a bowl of cereal! Those are memories
we will keep dear to our hearts.Jim loved life. He loved being around people, and
people loved being around Jim. He loved everything about life. I have many
fond memories of Jim. Water-skiing, snow skiing, golfing, camping, four
wheelin’, and house boating. We even rode together once! One of my fondest
memories was cooking with Jim. He loved to cook. I remember him talking
about someday going to the culinary institute and becoming a chef.
He shared many personal moments with me. His ups
and downs, his accomplishments, his disappointments, his dreams and his
goals. One thing he wanted more than anything was to meet the right person
and become a loving husband and a doting father. We all know that he made
that a reality.

Early in our relationship, we would get together
and have a cocktail or five! I was always there for him as he was for me.
He was the brother that I never had. He shared his family with me, and
for that I am grateful. Thank you to all of the Maita’s. You made me feel
like a part of your family, and because of that, Christmas will always
have special meanings for me. I never got the chance to meet Jim’s father,
be he spoke of him often. He was so proud of the picture that hangs on
the wall in his office. I know that Jim loved his father and missed him
very much. He told me that if he ever became a father, he wished that he
could be as fine as his was. Jim would light up every time he spoke of his kids
and family. He loved you all so very, very much, and will always be a part
of your lives as he will always be a part of ours.
I remember talking to Jim when he started going
on and on about becoming a roper. I thought he was crazy. I remember saying
to him, "You don’t even know how to ride a horse, how the heck are you
going to rope a cow? He knew in his heart he could do it, and I’ll
be damned, he did it! He had more passion about roping than anything else
he ever did. He lived his life that way. If he put his mind to something,
he nailed it! Family, friends, business, he had a passion for all of those
things. I don’t think that there was a person on earth who met Jim and
didn’t instantly like him; he was just that kind of guy.
We need to accept and feel good about the fact
that Jim died doing what he felt passionate about. He wouldn’t want us
feeling sad. We should celebrate the time that we shared with him and continue
to keep him in our thoughts. Let’s always remember his laugh and continue
to love our lives with as much passion as he did.
I love you Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy Maita, and remember
that you will always be a "bad piece of leather in any kind of weather."
God bless you and keep you.

Your friend, Dan Gross