Early morning Wednesday, April 8th, my mother found my father, Jim Hines, had passed in his sleep at our home in Glen Ellyn, IL. To our family, it seems completely unreal. He never showed any signs that he was close to death. His passing was very sudden and unexpected. As my dad, he always seemed unbreakable.

His passing has been incredibly painful for my family. For those who knew him, he was full of life and energy despite his age. He was always joking around, laughing, playing his guitar. He loved his family and used every possible chance he had to spend time with them and he savored every moment. He was an amazing, loving, goofy, talented, phenomenal dad. He was never without a witty comment or long-winded hilarious joke. I am so grateful for his humor, which was a quality of his that I think I will miss most. He made me who I am today and I am so saddened to think that his laughter and music will no longer fill our house. He was a great man, a friend to all, and an inspiration to me and many others.

I believe my mother, Cathy, is taking this the hardest out of all of us. He was her companion, her best friend, her rock. For my entire life, she has been struggling living with Multiple Sclerosis. She still goes to work every day, fighting through the pain to support our family. It is incredibly hard for her, and it is just as hard to watch her go through it.

My father did not have life insurance, and my mother is now a working widow with years and years of medical bills and a mortgage for a house that my father and uncle built with their bare hands. Our family now faces the financial burden that accompanies the loss of a loved one.

We are asking, if anyone has anything to spare, any little bit helps. Money is the last thing we want to worry about as we grieve for the loss of my amazing dad. Please share this with anyone you know. We greatly appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received thus far. Jim impacted so many people in his life, we are so saddened to say goodbye. Life will never be the same without him.

If anyone would like to pay their respects, the following link has information for his service that will take place Saturday, April 11th, 2015.
http://www.knollcrestfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1557034