In Memory of Jim Avey

In Memory of Jim Avey

Jim Avey

Spouse: Donna Avey
Children: Jaedon, Jaena
Birth Date: August 9, 1946
Blessing: July 1, 1982
Ascension Date: January 6, 2021

James "Jim" David Avey Jr., 74, died from vascular dementia and complications of stroke on Jan. 6, 2021, at home in Anchorage, Alaska, surrounded by family. Jim was born on Aug. 9, 1946, in Berkeley, Calif. His family drove to Anchorage in 1951, settling in Bootlegger's Cove.

Jim graduated from West High in '64, trade school as a carpet layer, and drafted into the Army in '68. Once discharged, he wandered the world. He lived on a houseboat in Amsterdam, in a cave in the Canary Islands, and in a treehouse at Taylor Camp on Kauai. He eventually came home to Alaska, where he built a cabin in Hope.

In 1976, he joined the Unification Church and met his beloved wife, Donna, in 1979. Through church mission work Jim supported the Joshua House Children's Centre, an orphanage in Guyana. He continued to work as a carpet layer until developing kidney failure. In between dialysis treatments he delivered for Hummel's Flowers. After receiving a transplant, he spent time with his grandkids, served free coffee outside his downtown home, and traveled with Donna.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Donna; son, Jaedon Avey (Adrian); daughter, Jaena Tranberg (David Kojin), all of Anchorage; daughter, Ursula Rotche of Costa Rica; grandchildren, Michael, Martha, Kona, Sarah, Jeffery, Aaron, David, and Steven; great-grandson, Kai; sister, Andrea McGovern of Hawaii; nephews, Joshua, Christopher, and Nathan; stepdaughter, Heather Lewis (John) of Texas; grandsons, David, Hilton and Lyle; and cousin, Kay (Mike) of Kansas. He is preceded in death by his parents, James David Sr. and Bettye Lou Avey (nee Wentworth).

Seonghwa Information

Seonghwa Ceremony: Sunday, January 10, 2021