Monday, May 1, 2023
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I didn't want to start this with a cliché, but it is so fitting, I have to...
"Only the good die young" – Jimmy was one of the good ones.
My name is Shannon, and I knew Jimmy because my sister Bridget is Jimmy's girlfriend and fiancé. Those two were inseparable. They 1st met at Welch Village Apartments. Bridget had just moved into an apartment there, and was sitting outside on a bench smoking. Jimmy's friend Brian came over and said "Hi" and sat down. Bridget introduced herself saying, "Hi, I'm Bridget and I have schizoaffective disorder." Brian said, "oh, you should meet my friend Jimmy." He goes and gets Jimmy and when they came back, Bridget said the same introduction to Jimmy. He smiled, liking Bridget's candor; it was refreshing. He says to her, "Hi, I'm Jimmy and I have schizophrenia." They talked for awhile and Bridget asked if he wanted to go to lunch. Because Jimmy was always a stand-up guy, he told her he had a girlfriend, but that he would breakup with her. —Don't worry—that girlfriend was nice about it and graciously stepped aside, and they remained good friends to this day. The very next day Jimmy asked Bridget to lunch, and they were together ever since.
Jimmy was such a genuinely nice person. Everywhere we went he made people smile or laugh. I was always impressed with his memory—he knew the lyrics and singers of almost ALL songs. Any genre, oldies to rap. He even wrote a rap song and it was very good. He remembered everything he learned in college—if you showed him a leaf or a tree—he knew the name of the tree.
He was dealt a difficult hand of cards in life. It was hard on him—but he wasn't sore about it, and always tried to keep positive. That optimistic outlook helped my sister Bridget with her troubles too—she often says, "Jimmy's my angel" and "Jimmy fixes me." She learned a lot from Jimmy. She couldn't bring herself to come to the funeral Mass, but she was at the wake and I know Jimmy is proud of her.
I'm sad – and mad – that he had to leave us so early in life, but none of us know how hard it was to be Jimmy, and we'd probably drink a lot too if we were in his shoes.
We're all lucky to have known him. I also just wanted to say "Thank You" to all of his friends who kept in contact with him—it meant the World to him, more than you'll ever know.
I love you Jimmy, I'm glad you're at peace now. You will be missed.
Your Friend,
Shannon O'Hara
