We’re fortunate that such a special man graced our lives. I am thankful that he shared in our UVA graduation celebration four years ago. And also for the numerous restorative pit stops he and Jean offered through the years whenever our family passed through Virginia. Jim had so many of the best qualities we all strive for. When we sat at the table to share a meal it was more than food, it was Jim keeping us entertained and laughing with his stories and jokes. He quietly but deliberately formed connections with others and would even discuss things like mathematics which maybe not everyone is into, but for me it was another joyful connection we shared. I do wish I’d been able to see him perform on stage, his creative energy was strong and he shed just a bit of it every time he gave a tour of his musical instruments. Jim, you are dearly missed but never forgotten. Mariellen Perugini

I am heartbroken to read about Jim for I can only think of him laughing or singing. A magnificent Fagan, he captivated audiences and kept them in his “pocket or two.” May the angels delight to have Jim in their chorus.

Jean and children, I am so sorry for your loss of Jim. Though I have not seen him for quite a while, I remember him as having a smile and making people laugh. Don and I send peace and love to you, Becky

This is a sad day — I think he would not want it to be this hard. Jim was such a happy man, always full of smiles and laughter. I knew his bass before I ever knew him as it boomed through the walls of my soon-to-be step-father’s house and drifted into the neighborhood in the evening. Jim was a regular part of the family for most of my childhood, standing in the living room just outside the kitchen every Thursday night, drinking his tea, singing and playing. I loved his “Rose Colored Glasses” rendition, which I think captures the goodness he always seemed to see in life. We should all wear some, even now, and remember only the happiest of times with him. There are so many fond memories I have of him — happily eating nuts on the couch during breaks, chuckling about things like Grecian formula for beards, or once when we all went out on a pontoon boat down at Lake Gaston, when we were just eating blueberries with the wind in our hair. He had stage presence even when he wasn’t on a stage. He will always be like family to me, like my fun uncle who visited every week and always made me laugh with his “THANK YOU JUST A WHOLE LOT FOLKS” when it was time to stop the music. So the music stops now but I can still see him in my mind saying those words. …or maybe what I’ll remember is him singing Amie: “Amie what you want to do? I think I could stay with you For a while, maybe longer if I do” We never know how long we have together. I think, with Jim, that we all enjoyed every minute we had with him. Best wishes to all who knew and loved him.

What a wonderful, contribution Jim’s life was to his family, community and his vocation at Dahlgren. My condolences, Jean, in the physical loss of this wonderful husband and father. I remember him so well in his support of RCDV and YOU as Director in the beginning of our organization. You will miss him physically every day but his Spirit lives on—active and omnipresent in all your activity and very being. So many memories will accompany all that you do henceforth, giving you an opportunity to recall his physical presence and talk about his life of service, enabling you to adjust to and accept his passing. It is a slow, sometimes painful acceptance, but you will have the support of family and friends in achieving acceptance as a widow. God bless you as you enter into this “passage”, keeping you always in the Palm of His Hand.