James Wilmoth

On Saturday, September 7, 2019, we lost our beloved James Wilmoth. He passed peacefully with his family by his side after a long and brave fight with a series of illnesses. Jim was married to his true love, Mary, for 48 adventurous years. Together they were original hippies, nature lovers, caretakers for flocks of animals and they raised a son, Michael. Jim was the classic good guy and was always there with a helping hand or a kind word. Never wanting to be the center of attention, he sought out meaningful chats with those he loved. Jim supported his family with a quiet and steadfast dependability. At the age of 18, Jim enlisted in the Army and was deployed to Vietnam for 18 months. He served on a slow boat in the Mekong River. He didn’t like to talk about his service in Vietnam but when asked about that time he would say that he never wanted to hurt anyone and hoped that he hadn’t. Jim’s second true love was music. At a young age, he taught himself to play the guitar and quickly learned to play the blues. He could name any band, the songs they played and could play many of them for you on his Fender Strat. It was a joy to listen to him play and he kept this hobby his entire life. After Vietnam, he enjoyed playing in a band but after meeting Mary at a party, gave it up to support his young family. He joined Bell Atlantic as a lineman and over time became a systems analyst and repaired hardware in the DC central office. If you used the phone between 1970 and 2000 you owe him a small thank you. Jim’s third true love was his animal friends. He adopted many and spoiled them terribly. Suzy, Blackie, Motley and Charlie were the luckiest dogs ever to walk this earth and he enjoyed caring for his beloved birds and squirrels. His largest budget item seemed to be feed for his friends and he supported a whole forest of animals every winter. Jim loved his family and could often be seen telling jokes or fantastic stories to his grandchildren, nephews and nieces. He spent countless days driving Mary to see his grandchildren and had endless patience reading stories, pushing a swing or playing make believe. He enjoyed hiking, canoeing and national parks and took Mary and Michael on many camping trips and adventures across the country. Above all, Jim’s favorite place was his loving home. He could often be seen playing old video games with anyone that would sit with him, watching sci fi, working on one of his cars, or taking care of the house he designed and built for his family. Jim was loved by many and we will miss him terribly. Visitation on Saturday, September 14, 2019 from 2PM until time of Memorial Service at 3PM at Raymond Funeral Service Chapel, 5635 Washington Avenue, La Plata, Maryland 20646. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions in Jim’s name are asked to the Humane Society of Charles County, PO Box 1015, Waldorf, Maryland 20604.

James Wilmoth

October 28, 1949 - September 7, 2019