Our Friend Jim Minami

To All the Members of our Richmond Rockets, Friends, and Relatives of Jim Minami:

It is an honour to share our collective experience with our dear friend and mentor, Jim Minami.

Some people achieve greatness in sport with the medals and awards that they earn. Others do even greater deeds by touching, teaching and inspiring us not only in sport, but in life. Jim has always been willing to share knowledge and guidance through a lifetime of learning, striving for constant improvement in the chase for perfection.

His efforts went way beyond individual achievements; he sowed the seeds of greatness in others, both younger and older, by giving them the tools to improve themselves, and thus, giving them the confidence to achieve what would otherwise be unattainable.

He was a constant presence on the ice and in the stands. And will be with us in every turn. We will miss him dearly. But we look forward to the time when we are all reunited once again.

Let us not lament his loss. Let us celebrate his life and how he has, in his own way, enriched all of ours.

Alexander Teh
President
Richmond Rockets Speed Skating Club

 

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Watch the video tribute of Jim Minami.

View this asynchronous memorial,

this video celebration of Jim’s skating life.

Sit back (with a brownie or apple fritter 😉 )…

…and be moved by the stories.

Stay all the way until the Zamboni. 

Stream the video here:

https://www.tribute.co/jim-minami/

• Brief videos from 25+ skaters
• Handful of pictures
• Short video segment of Jim skating
• Then, it ends as all sessions end: with the Zamboni.

YES !  Share and forward this beautiful tribute.

Contributed?  Thank you.  You are the voice of those who couldn’t share.

With humility and gratitude, I received and organized submissions.

On behalf of all who knew Jim,

Margot Worthy
Whatcom Speed Skating Club, Bellingham, WA

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Celebration of Life for Jim Minami

1. • In person
   • Bellingham Sportsplex
   • August 5 (Saturday)
   • 3:15-4:15pm On-ice, speedskating session, for those who want to skate.  Standard safety gear required.  Note: This ice is donated by the Bellingham Sportsplex (“because Jim was a nice man.”)
   • 4:15-5:15pm potluck and social time.  Join us for good conversation about Jim and speedskating.
   • We hope the selected time gives friends the ability to commute from the north and the south!  💗
   • You don’t have to skate!  Just come for the social, if you want.
   • Skating, food, and friends:  so Jim. Please come.

We hope you’ll do both the video AND the live event.

You have been important in Jim’s life.

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Photos

Michael Mong has kindly made a few of Jim’s photos available (no charge)

At https://vancouverspeedskating.smugmug.com/Jim-Minami/n-Pc35DS/

Thank you!

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There will be 2 separate events…

1. The family will hold a memorial service in El Sobrante, California at the cemetery (late July? Date TBD).  His cremated remains will be put to rest with dear family there.
2. Our club will hold a Celebration of Life for all skaters and friends (and family, if they want) this summer (August 5) in Blaine (or Bellingham) in Washington State.

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From: Margot Worthy
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2023 5:54 PM
Subject: Jim

Skater friends,

Our dear friend Jim Minami has passed peacefully.

He took his last breath this afternoon (March 13) at Hospice House in Bellingham.

Since his bleeding stroke on March 7, Jim has been surrounded by his family and friends.  He has heard (both in person and on the phone) stories of the times he has spent with you.

Please carry the love of speedskating into the world.

He modeled to us how to connect (chatting with others!) and support (sharing “just in time” tips).

I know I will be constantly asking myself, “what would Jim do?”

Look for Jim in the corners as you skate a lap for him.

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From: Margot Worthy
Sent: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 14:38
Subject: Our friend Jim Minami

Skater friends,
Please be seated to read this heavy news.
Our friend and mentor, Jim Minami, is in the hospital, and we are told his passing is imminent.

We have contacted his family.  And now we contact you from the skating community who love him dearly.

Yes, this is sudden.

WHAT HAPPENED:
Our current (limited) understanding is that he had a fall at his home sometime Tuesday (morning? March 7) and hit his head.  When he didn’t show up to speedskating club practice on Tuesday evening (he’d never miss practice! red flag!), fellow skater Tim Demerjian and I went to his home.  By 11:30pm (Tuesday, March 7), with the help of Sheriffs and medics, he was on his way to the hospital in Bellingham.  We are told there is significant brain bleeding, however, and he is now on “comfort care.”

OUR LAST SKATE:
We skated together last on Friday at a public adult session, as we did each Friday.  Our 7 (or 8?) speedskaters shared the ice with only a handful of other skaters.  Jim had done his usual:  quietly rallying us to do 3 lap leads in a slow pace line, giving us each tiny (yet epic!) custom pointers, and skating up next to non-speedskaters to offer whatever golden tidbit would precisely help them in the moment, right where they were at.  A giver.

He was caught up, at one point in the public session, chatting with a 70+ year old hockey skater (… I nudged them to skate while they chatted so they wouldn’t get cold.  LOL)  A friendly person.

All in all, it was a glorious skate.  He and I were among the last stragglers to leave, and he turned to me with a big grin saying, “that was a GREAT Friday session!”  A shining friend.

WONDERING WHAT TO DO?:

1. SHARE: Please forward this to others who know and love Jim.  If you’d like, you can cc me when you forward it to ensure they’ll be included in updates.  If this was forwarded to you, email me to be included in updates.  worthym@nullcomcast.net
2. SKATE: Please, skate fast and turn left for Jim.
3. CONNECT: Take a moment to send thoughts of peace to him (via prayer or meditation or how ever energy moves for you). Reach out to others who know him— you are not alone.

Your presence in his life has brought joy to him.
Whether a new friend or an old friend, the connection is gold.

I’ll send an update.

Your friend, Jim’s friend,
Margot Worthy
Whatcom Speed Skating Club, president/coach
Bellingham, WA