[ Courtesy: NJ.com ]
[ NJ Advance Media-AP/Santos Chaparro ]
[ NJ Advance Media-AP/Santos Chaparro ]
Towards the start of our blog in an acknowledgement section, our readers may have noticed a name mentioned but only in brief.
It had to be in brief, because the large and beautiful personality of Jim Gaines would not accept it any other way. He was, tellingly, the most modest person in whatever he did.
On Tuesday May 12, 2015, an Amtrak train bound for New York from Washington derailed close to Philadelphia in arguably one of the most horrific accidents of our times. An ever responsible and ebullient Jim, had even then text-ed home to his wife Jacqueline that he would be there "in just about half an hour". But, fate, just snatched him away in a few minutes in perhaps one of the cruelest of fashions.
To this writer and the many who knew him in the communities of the Princeton suburbs, and to his many colleagues at work, it was hard not be held captive by Jim's many-a-sided 'goodness'. His ever eager spirit was always involved in helping some deserving institution or in charity or in the cause of somebody. He was just the "go to" guy, the one that would accommodate you in any situation at any hour when you called on him.
It was in such a situation, in a call for help to Jim that this 'Parvathi' blog started in earnest.
This writer had always felt a pang on the story of a unique home in India that had a large part of music entwined with scores of performers, and in the large lay of a country, it's classic traditions and culture. Ever creative himself, such stories had a unique appeal for Jim.
Ever the faithful father, in bundling his two dear children in a car wherever he went, and always the technical one in brandishing his lap top, he would show up for sittings, faithfully, sacrificing his own weekends to be in a coffee shop, to be the teacher, the creative persona, the designer.
The memory of those beautiful mornings haunt this writer even as he recalls the teacher in Jim "You know, just with a wee bit of help, Jacqueline has mastered her web page in providing her own creative expressions. This is no rocket science and you too can do it. I'll teach you how, but you alone must roll up your sleeves and do it!".
As we roll up each posting in the future, we will have cause to recall Jim's words each time and with a lump. He has left his indelible presence in our hearts and minds.
We only wish he had not left us this way, with only a philosophy to comfort us.
Jim Gaines, less than fifty years old, was professionally a Manager in Video technology with the Associated Press. Gifted techically, he was part of a team that won the AP Chairman's Prize in 2006 for developing the agency's Online Video Network.
He leaves behind wife Jacqueline and two lovely children 16-year-old son Oliver and 11-year-old daughter Anushka.
We can only but pray that they may all be comforted in some manner.
It had to be in brief, because the large and beautiful personality of Jim Gaines would not accept it any other way. He was, tellingly, the most modest person in whatever he did.
On Tuesday May 12, 2015, an Amtrak train bound for New York from Washington derailed close to Philadelphia in arguably one of the most horrific accidents of our times. An ever responsible and ebullient Jim, had even then text-ed home to his wife Jacqueline that he would be there "in just about half an hour". But, fate, just snatched him away in a few minutes in perhaps one of the cruelest of fashions.
To this writer and the many who knew him in the communities of the Princeton suburbs, and to his many colleagues at work, it was hard not be held captive by Jim's many-a-sided 'goodness'. His ever eager spirit was always involved in helping some deserving institution or in charity or in the cause of somebody. He was just the "go to" guy, the one that would accommodate you in any situation at any hour when you called on him.
It was in such a situation, in a call for help to Jim that this 'Parvathi' blog started in earnest.
This writer had always felt a pang on the story of a unique home in India that had a large part of music entwined with scores of performers, and in the large lay of a country, it's classic traditions and culture. Ever creative himself, such stories had a unique appeal for Jim.
Ever the faithful father, in bundling his two dear children in a car wherever he went, and always the technical one in brandishing his lap top, he would show up for sittings, faithfully, sacrificing his own weekends to be in a coffee shop, to be the teacher, the creative persona, the designer.
The memory of those beautiful mornings haunt this writer even as he recalls the teacher in Jim "You know, just with a wee bit of help, Jacqueline has mastered her web page in providing her own creative expressions. This is no rocket science and you too can do it. I'll teach you how, but you alone must roll up your sleeves and do it!".
As we roll up each posting in the future, we will have cause to recall Jim's words each time and with a lump. He has left his indelible presence in our hearts and minds.
We only wish he had not left us this way, with only a philosophy to comfort us.
Jim Gaines, less than fifty years old, was professionally a Manager in Video technology with the Associated Press. Gifted techically, he was part of a team that won the AP Chairman's Prize in 2006 for developing the agency's Online Video Network.
He leaves behind wife Jacqueline and two lovely children 16-year-old son Oliver and 11-year-old daughter Anushka.
We can only but pray that they may all be comforted in some manner.
