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Jim took his life on October 13, 2008 following depression resulting from the death of his wife Emma who passed away several years prior to Jim. Jim was the President of Custom Flooring and Design in Jacksonville, Florida.
If you can provide additional information concerning Jim's life following high school until the time of his passing, please click the Contact Us link above and tell us what you know. We would appreciate hearing from you.
Please post your memories of Jim below.
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John Radke
Hope. That is a word that is thrown around alot these days.The biggest hope I had for us getting together at this year's reunion was Jim Bault showing up and us finally reconnecting after many years.
I lost contact with Jim in 1977. He was in town and we got together over a few beers one night. As the evening ended, he left to go west somewhere. I think it was Seattle.
I never heard from him again.
Barchard and I spent many years trying to track him down, but we were never succesful. There seemed to be no news about him anywhere. Various search engines, emails, letters and phone calls were tried, but none brought results.
That changed today. It's my birthday, so I took the day off and checked the reunion website to see if there were any other friends and classmates who had updated thier profiles.
Devastated is the only word that makes its way through my mind, my heart and my tears. Today I learned that Jim Bault, our classmate and my dear friend ended his life in 2008.
Jim and I remained close friends after high shcool. We both attended and gradutated from MCC and NIU. Jim even persuaded me to get involved with the thespian group at MCC. He even talked me into acting in a play.
During those years we became as close as brothers.
When I was recovering from knee surgery just before our senior year in high school, Jim was at my house every day encouraging me and helping me with rehab excercises.
When my father's health was declining, Jim would come over to our house and play cards for hours on end. He did that over the course of a year and a half... almost every weekend, and that was while we were still in college. Many times he would "be there" on Friday and Saturday nights because he knew my Dad enjoyed his company. In no small way, Jim Bault brought some joy into the last year of my Dad's life. He knew what that meant to me. I told him often. But I would have given anything to tell him just one more time.
We had many fun times through high school and college too. Double dating at numerous dances, working the lighting and building sets for MCC plays, carpooling from CL to NIU, fishing at Bard Farms, camping at Barchard's sod farm, and sharing an extensive array of malt beverages while discussing life, philosophy, religion and politics...just the typical stuff of life
These were the things that we shared together. These are the memories that I will forever hold dear.
Rick Barchard
I was so sad about this that I could not put anything down. Like John R., I thought we had finally found him through Sue's hard work. It is so darn sad.Jim became one of my best friends as soon as I moved to Crystal Lake. Our mom's became good friends and shared a love of the Cubbies. Our mom's would write us an excuse note every April so we can all go to Opening Day at Wrigley.
Jim and I spent many times at each others houses getting into all sorts of mischief. We almost killed ourselves once by creating chlorine gas while working with the chemistry set in his basement. (Believe me, never mix chlorine with ammonia!)
Jim, John R, and I also cut and built a bright yellow dune buggy out of an old VW Beetle in our shop at the sod farm. Beer keg gasoline tank and all. I remember showing up at the "Freeze" with that buggy and having a riot driving on the slough grass.
I feel so bad that we won't be able to re-live some of those stories together.
Bob Allyn
Jim was one of our classmates that I was looking forward to seeing at the reunion. He was the manager for a time on our basketball team. If we didn't have dates on a praticular evening, we'd hang out together. I don't know if anyone else remembers but Jim had an official roulette wheel in his basement. We used to pretend that we were gambling for high stakes and act like we were high rollers. He was a lot of fun and had a fantastic and often sarcastic sense of humor.Gary Parrish
John R. and I reminised of Jim on several occassions thru the years and often wondered why Jim chose not to stay in touch.Jim was somewhat instrumental in life.
As "Babbie" mentioned, he enjoyed being involved in basketball. He had a passion for the game and always had a kind/encouraging word for the less talented players like me! Ironically he was the one responsible for encouraging me to never give up.
One very hot summer afternoon of football at his house, I passed out while driving home. I woke up in a farmer's field at the end of Jim's road moments later. It was Jim who drove my car home for me.
I recall how proud he was to show off tire skid marks on his road that he had layed w/ his Impala. He really knew how to make them spin and smoke. Much like a Nascar driver does after a win today. He was ahead of his time.
Jim was responsible for introducing me to photograhy.
In '73 or '74 he and John R. came to visit me in in Madison, Wi. He brought a Cannon 35MM camera and all the equipment and we spent the entire weekend (well into ea. night)taking pictures of the moon, the State Capital, the city from different points of view like alleys and municipal garage roof tops. He really had a knack for it. I still have several B&W's in my photo album that he took that weekend.
He introduced me to a double L.P. by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". I have a copy yet to this day and think of him everytime I play it.
I really regret not being able to personally thank Jim for the fond memories.