Jim’s smile and personality lit up a room. You would gravitate to him because of his ability to make you feel at ease with his quick wit and friendly, positive outlook. He was generous with his time by serving his community and his heart by donating to various charities. He led by example, and once he committed to something, his commitment and dedication was so admirable. His family & children were his first priority, and there’s nothing he loved more than being a doting father to Finn & Addison.

On December 4, 2018 he unexpectedly left us, leaving a hole forever in our hearts. It’s due to his heart that we chose this foundation, Young Hearts for Life, to honor his life and legacy. Jim was born with a heart condition called Wolff Parkinson White, which causes abnormally fast heart rates for periods of time. He was treated til age 6 and cleared with a clean bill of health for decades. In fact, he stunned the medical community with his unexpected passing of sudden cardiac arrest, due to WPW.

Jim was a high school and collegiate athlete who loved kids so what better way to honor him than to partner with Young Hearts for Life. YH4L is a local, Chicago based organization that has provided low-cost ECG screenings for the last 16 years in area high schools in order to increase awareness and prevent deaths due to sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden Cardiac Death claims the lives of more than 60 young adults each week in the United States. YH4L’s mission is near and dear to us so our goal is to become more involved by being trained to administer these tests, spread awareness, and ask for your financial support to continue their important work.