James Bell Jerauld

Jim Jerauld, 78, never met a stranger. This best friend to many was born on April 18, 1940 to Robert and Dorothy Bell Jerauld. He left us on June 18, 2018 after complications from surgery due to his brave battle with cancer. He was brought up in Long Beach, CA, the oldest of three children. After high school Jim enlisted in the Air Force and during this time was awarded a football scholarship to Claremont Men’s College where he completed his BS and MBA in economics, all while also flying at night with the Korean War Reserve Pilots. One of his most exciting claims to fame was playing football as running back in the Junior Rose Bowl in Pasadena a couple of times. Jim started his computer career with IBM as a systems engineer and ended his computer career working for Burroughs Corp. in Southern California, Fresno and Seattle.

Jim was married to Linda and had four lovely children, Jeanine, Julie, Jenifer and Robert. Though the marriage ended in divorce after Jim and his family moved to Seattle, he managed to do work for the Special Olympics through a volunteer organization, Civitan. He met his present wife, Toni, and her three children, Carrie, Mike and Kathy in Civitan, and he and Toni were married in 1991. Jim and Toni operated Kirshner Driving School for approximately ten years

In the Seattle area and enjoyed a fantastic staff of enthusiastic teachers and support staff who

Jim kept in contact with the rest of his life.

Jim and Toni moved to Henderson, NV, in 2006 where they had a wonderful life together. Jim’s days were filled with community activities, including volunteering for the Computer Club and Veteran’s Club in the Sun City Anthem community. They traveled as much as possible to visit their children and grandchildren, as well as cruised to great locations in the Mediterranean, the Panama Canal and Australia. He owned timeshares for about ten years and traveled to New York and Hawaii every year to enjoy them with family and friends. Jim’s favorite trip was a road trip last summer to Yellowstone which he shared with Toni and some of his children and grandchildren.

He loved music, dancing, gadgets, computers, and especially sports. He loved March Madness, the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby. He owned his boat and was an avid fisherman while living in Seattle. Jim once bought a piano even though he did not play, and he joined the performing arts group in the local Henderson community, though he could not carry a note. Mostly he loved visiting with his buddies. He misses them.

Jim is survived by his wife, Toni, as well as their seven children and their spouses, twelve grandchildren, his sisters, Betty and Bobbi, and numerous relatives and fantastic friends who miss him every minute.

A Celebration of Life is being held at the Delaware Room at Sun City Anthem at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 28th. A private reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers Jim would greatly appreciate any donations be made in his name to Autism Speaks at their website: info@grantagiftautismfoundation.