Jim was a devout 'critter lover.' He spent his childhood collecting pets, including an alligator, which he had to ride his bike to creek everyday to catch crayfishtofeed it, a monkey, a litter of muskrats and all sorts of newts, birds, fish and just about anything else you can think of. He made sure to teach his sisters how to catch frogs and snakes so they wouldn't be "girls" about it.
Jim began playing tennis at the age of 3 with a racket his dad cut down to adapt to his small but agile frame. He went on to play pony league and little league. In his teen years Jim spent many hours at the local Ice Arena, working as a rink guard, and became more than adept at hockey, a sport for which he had a great passion.
In addition to his natural ability as naturalist and athlete, Jim was equally fluent in music. In middle school, he began with the coronet followed by the french horn. His high school years were where his real love affair with music took off, electric guitar in hand. Jim organized his first band in the family living room playing the songs of the day by the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds and more. His love for rock and roll evolved as he moved south, to include the inspirational blues of the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughn, with whom he shared the stage in his beloved Austin.
Jim's love for xtreme sports took him to Florida, racing dirt bikes. When he broke his ankle, he became part of the pit crew. Memories of this are only partial.
Jim married Bevery Ann Richey in 1975. They had a daughter, Tara Rae, in 1978. Shortly afterward, they moved to Houston, TX. In 1984, a single Jim married Georgiane Miller. They have a son, Stevie Ray and a daughter, Daphne Maryhelen.
Jim's life has been one of many and varied interests, which he pursued with great passion. His lifelong passion for animals led him to become an aviarist, breeding and raising exotic birds (african greys ie. "Rodney," lovebirds, cockatiels), and breeding and raising dogs (bloodhounds, sharpeis, english bulldogs). He spent many hours hand-preparing food for them from scratch and building an aviary in his backyard.
His passion for gardening, which started with his parents, led him to become an accomplished gardener, known to the local garden center staff at a number of centers in Austin. For a while he had them looking out for any new purple flowered plant they had come in.
Jim never met a stranger and had many friends with whom he stayed in touch, even those he had had in grade school. He was a loyal friend, a beloved father, son and brother. Family was everything to Jim.
James Victor Wicklund passed away after a lengthy illness on February 22, 2007 at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin Texas. His daughter, Daphne, and sister, Deni, were at his bedside.
Jim is survived by his loving children, daughter Tara Rae, who is expecting her first child in April, 2007, son Stevie and daughter Daphne. He is also survived by both parents, his brother and two sisters. We were all so blessed to have had him in our lives.
