James R. "PaPa Jim" Cushing Obituary (1947 - 2014)

James R. "PaPa Jim" Cushing, 67, of Cooksville, died at 7:55 a.m. on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 at his home. A Celebration of Life/Open House will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 10, 2014 at Cooksville Fire Department, 101 N. Jeffrey, Cooksville, IL. Military honors will be performed by the Carl S. Martin American Legion Post #635 at 4 p.m. Cremation rites have been accorded by Carmody-Flynn Williamsburg Funeral Home, Bloomington. Memorial contributions may be directed to the family. To express condolences online, please visit www.carmodyflynn.com.He was born March 31, 1947 in Huron, SD, son of Frederick Wayne and Margaret Maisie Holcroft Cushing. He married Barb Ryburn Oliviero on January 1, 2000 in Crane, TX, she survives in Cooksville. PaPa Jim and Barb each brought their own children into the marriage and loved them all. Surviving are his daughter, Mary Katherine (Jeremy) Gibson of Oklahoma City, OK, her children, Samuel (Zaurhea), Joshua (Maria) and Yesenia; four step-children, Christina Oliviero of Carlock and her children, Michael (Brianna), Phillip "Piedras", Dougie and Grace; Michelle Oliviero of Normal and her children, Tyler and Alexis; Jason (Angela) Oliviero of Heyworth and his children, Hayden, Caleb "Me Boyo," Carsen and Thomas and Steven (Micki) Oliviero and his children, Chase, Sydney and Squire. Also surviving are four great-grandchildren, Quy, Isaac, Jonathn and Angel and two sisters, Margaret Mary McKenzie of Marble Falls, TX and Kathleen Alanah Miranda of El Paso, TX. He was preceded in death by his parents. He was a United States Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and a member of the Carl S. Martin American Legion Post #635 in Normal and a lifetime member of the VFW post in Texas.Jim was a 1985 graduate of San Diego State University, where he received his Bachelors Degree. Papa Jim last worked at SC2 in Bloomington before retiring in 2011. He enjoyed singing, dancing and entertaining with his guitar and harmonica. Throughout the years, PaPa Jim volunteered at local nursing homes, where he provided entertainment for the residents musically, as well as story-sharing. "Those who have left the greatest legacies are those who have invested in others-and they have found...Yes, you can take it with you when you go." By Zelda Fitzgerald.