James Thompson Boone

James Thompson Boone died April 4, 2019 at the Sunshine Terrace in Logan, Utah at the age of 95. Jim was born October 8, 1923 in Connersville, Indiana to Chester and Lucy Thompson Boone. He was their first child and had one younger brother, John. He graduated from Connersville High School in 1941 and then went to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. After graduating in 1944, he served in the Navy and Coast Guard for several years. Jim met Mary Elizabeth Grey when they were in seventh grade at Connersville Junior High. She thought he was the cutest thing she had ever seen and they were married June 16, 1945. They had 3 children: Suzanne Boone Taye (John Taye) of Boise, Idaho, Debbie Boone Stoops (John Stoops) of Draper, Utah, and Tom Boone (Michele) of Kingman, Arizona.
After Jim left the service, the family moved back to Indiana. They then moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Brigham City, Utah, and Prescott and Tempe, Arizona. After the children were grown, Jim and Mary moved to Silver Hill, Arkansas where Jim fell in love with the Buffalo River. They lived there for 20 years before moving to Lewiston, Utah to be a little closer to their children.
From boyhood, Jim loved the outdoors: boating, boat building, biking, hiking, swimming, etc. He was able to share that love with others for many years by volunteering with Common Ground Outdoor Adventures in Logan, Utah. In 2006 he was awarded the Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award by the Utah Commission on Volunteers for his work there. He continued his outdoor activities well into his nineties and bought a new bike when he was 94. He competed in the Utah Biathlon over the years with 10 individual finishes and 8 team finishes.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John Boone. He is survived by his wife and children and 10 grandchildren (Catherine Taye Slattery, Adam Taye, Aaron Taye, Emily Taye Nolte, Mark Graham, Andy Graham, Melanie Graham van Leuven, Kate Graham Johnson, Anthony Boone, and Marie Boone) and 20 great-grandchildren.
The family would like to thank Dr. Brian Carlson and all the caregivers at Sunshine Hospice and Sunshine Terrace who cared for Jim in his final days. Friends of Jim are invited to join the family and share memories of him at a celebration of his life to be held at the Lewiston Ward building, 10 South 1600 West, Lewiston, Utah on Saturday, April 13 at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Common Ground Outdoor Adventures ( http://cgadventures.org ).