Hello Dearest Family and Friends,

It is with broken and heavy hearts we must share, that our dear father, the Amazing Jim Heard, has passed on. If you were in his life, you mattered to him, and what a glorious thing it was to be in that energy! He will be deeply and inexpressibly missed.

As we now transition into the task of bringing him home from the east coast, your kind and generous support means more than ever. All donations will go towards outstanding and upcoming expenses to usher him on to his next destination. In lieu of flowers, we gratefully appreciate any donation amount.

And to share a bit more of the Jim Heard story...

To say that Jim Heard was unique would be an understatement. From his velvety baritone voice and timeless style, to the way he commanded attention when he walked into a room, his presence was a noticeable force not to be missed. His life experiences were the stuff of movies. From his time in the military with top secret goverment clearance, and having been chosen for the monumental role of Honor Guard during President Kennedys funeral procession, to his acting and FM radio variety show, and later entrepreneurial ventures, this man added a shine and success to everything he touched.

What stories come to your mind when you think of Jim Heard?

Sixteen years ago, he was given the news that prostate cancer had decided to take up residency with him. He always said, "We're not 'fighting' anything. If you're fighting something, you're already losing." So, he acknowledged existing with it, turned the page, and got busy searching out methods to encourage it to cease to need him as a host. From North to South, coast to coast and overseas, we traveled seeking out the best and brightest doctors, and the most innovative treatments. His "guest" got the point and disappeared for some time, blessedly.

In 2023 with numbers shifting northwards, he'd decided to try another promising treatment that was in a trial. Unfortunately, he had a devastating global reaction that landed him in a near vegetative state for 5 weeks. We counted it a miracle when at the last moment, he awoke, and we just knew through sheer tenacity, he would return to us.

He put in the hard work, learned to process again, to talk again, and even made good progress at regaining his mobility during the many months at rehab until February of 2024, when his daughter Erika brought him home to continue his progress. He was doing well until a fall in the summer left him with a fractured vertebrae and another extended stay at the hospital. That's then we learned his sneaky visitor had returned. And spread.

Fearlessly he decided to undergo one more trial that had us traveling half the country and back every 6 weeks. A Christmas miracle happened when they told us his numbers had dropped precipitously and the treatment seemed to be working! Just 6 weeks later at our next visit for treatment, the rug was pulled from under us. It was back with a vengeance. And, although that treatment was no longer an option, we continued to hold out hope and faith for a successful healing.

We are broken hearted at the rapid turn of events, and will now look to you all to help continue his legacy by sharing all the best of him that you experienced going forward in your lives.

Thank you again for your time and donations. Best wishes to you all.