Jim was born July 12, 1951 and spent his life in Minnesota. He was a very talented architect, skilled in the art of drawing. Besides being a successful architect he also was good in many sports such as golf. The Minnesota Twins were a love of his too. He loved traveling with his wife especially to such places as Cape Cod. Everyone who knew Jim could see his big kind heart. There was nobody kinder.

It all started with a simple little sore in Jim’s mouth in the early summer of 2008 that would not go away. Six weeks later he was diagnosed with oral cancer and immediately underwent surgery to remove the tumor.  He then began radiation and chemotherapy treatment at the same time. Jim was tough and got through it, but less than four months after the treatment the cancer came back and had metastisized to his right lung. This time Jim underwent a triple chemotherapy cocktail, targeted radiation to his jaw area, and another a new drug called Erbitux. By the end of summer 2009 Jim has successfully survived his treatment and was moving on cancer free!  2010 brought in a new year with hope, but a reoccurring collapsed lung plagued Jim and the cancer had spread once again. Jim passed away Saturday, June 26, 2010 at home with his wife Joan and their two cats by his side.

Jim was not a smoker and was only a casual drinker. He would have wanted others to know about the risk of getting this type of cancer, so having an organization like the Oral Cancer Foundation available to people is crucial if we are to stop this disease. Jim’s family, friends and wife Joan thank you for supporting this organization.

For more information about the Oral Cancer Foudnation and to donate to the cause, please visit: www.oralcancer.org