Obituary for James Lister
“All children, except one, grow up” - Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
We’d like to tell the story of a crooked little boy named Jimmy Lister. Doctors warned that Jimmy would not survive beyond the age of 13. Surely his body couldn’t develop the way “normal” bodies did. But what the doctors didn’t know, what they would never understand, was while Jimmy appeared to be destined for doom, he had, unknowingly, been granted the gift of greatness.
Jimmy was born with a steep curve in his spine, angled elbows, and bulbous misshapen knees. His eyes floated crossed, his shoulders pinned to his ears, and his brain stored all the right information in all the wrong places. As a boy, Jimmy struggled with his crookedness. His family was ill-equipped to care for such a child and left him to manage on his own. But Jimmy was not deterred.
His crooked back and crooked knees would not allow him to walk, so he taught himself to crawl. His criss-crossed brain would not allow him to remember words, so he made up his own. And when he finally grew old enough to attend school like the rest of the kids, he was elated to see other children he could relate to. But as Jimmy grew older and the age of 13 grew nearer, a peculiar thing began to happen. As the other school children grew, in both body and mind, Jimmy stayed the same. And just as the tale of Peter Pan goes, Jimmy was given the gift of free-spirit, a never-ending childhood. And with this gift, he would never have to reach the age of 13.
It wasn’t long before those around him caught on to his youthful innocence. Everywhere he went, people were drawn to his infectious love of life. And because he made it look so easy, Jimmy’s crookedness seemed to fade. He used his gift to deliver laughter and comfort to all who knew him. In his presence, family and friends welcomed the escape from adulthood and abandoned regular words to speak Jimmy’s language. He taught them to value the simple pleasures in life. And he continued these lessons with each new generation. But Jimmy’s gift would expire.
At the age of 48, all of the years he escaped, finally caught up. At first he persisted as he always had, determined to continue on his path to greatness, but his body grew tired and eventually he did too.
Jimmy Lister was born in 1972 and resided in Egg Harbor Township and Somers Point his entire life. He was separated from his mother early on and placed with extended family until the age of 12. That portion of his life was riddled with severe abuse and neglect, but it’s best not to harp on that period, as he never did. He attended Winchell School in Pomona, and later Northfield, until he graduated with the highest of honors. He has remained at home, with his family, ever since.
Jimmy did reunite with his mother, Theresa Lister, and visited her weekly in her assisted living residence, Mainland Manor. The two were enamored with one another and made up for lost time. They remained close until she passed in 2010.
It’s true Jimmy developed his own language. A “seatbucket” was a seatbelt, a “pudded” was a pillow, and “shake-a-butted” meant to dance. He had unique names for all of us, some closer to the origin than others, but we answered to them all the same. He loved hot dogs, pizza, and “skebby” and would grimace at the mention of a healthier option like a salad or fish. “I hate da fish,” he would say. He loved a party, especially if he was being celebrated, and anticipated his birthday months in advance. Each year, when asked how old he was going to be, he always responded the same, “19”.
He was a superstar baseball player. And once opening day at Field of Dreams commenced, he could speak of nothing other than all of the “touchdowns” he scored when he hit the ball. Those in attendance of the games recognized him as the wily veteran due to the fact that he far surpassed the maximum age to play in the league. But every year when signups came around his age remained “19”.
He believed in the magic of Santa Clause and the Easter “Bun Raddid” and that alone was enough to capture your heart. He loved music, dancing, and board games and was an all-star Yahtzee designated roller. He enjoyed watching “spookedy” movies, walks on the boardwalk, going to the restaurant and relaxing by the pool. And everytime he saw a plane fly overhead, he was convinced it was going to see “Micka Mouse” and would beg to go.
Jimmy was a good person. The best person. He knew nothing of judgement, anger, jealousy, or selfishness. When he came into our lives 34 years ago, he gifted us the greatest friendship we will ever know. And he left us with stories and memories of him that will be talked about for years to come. Bye Jim…”Good Luck! We “lub” you!”
A private memorial service for close friends and family will be held Thursday, May 20, 2021. In lieu of flowers, please consider volunteering your time or offering a small donation to the South Jersey Field of Dreams https://southjerseyfieldofdreams.com/.
We’d like to tell the story of a crooked little boy named Jimmy Lister. Doctors warned that Jimmy would not survive beyond the age of 13. Surely his body couldn’t develop the way “normal” bodies did. But what the doctors didn’t know, what they would never understand, was while Jimmy appeared to be destined for doom, he had, unknowingly, been granted the gift of greatness.
Jimmy was born with a steep curve in his spine, angled elbows, and bulbous misshapen knees. His eyes floated crossed, his shoulders pinned to his ears, and his brain stored all the right information in all the wrong places. As a boy, Jimmy struggled with his crookedness. His family was ill-equipped to care for such a child and left him to manage on his own. But Jimmy was not deterred.
His crooked back and crooked knees would not allow him to walk, so he taught himself to crawl. His criss-crossed brain would not allow him to remember words, so he made up his own. And when he finally grew old enough to attend school like the rest of the kids, he was elated to see other children he could relate to. But as Jimmy grew older and the age of 13 grew nearer, a peculiar thing began to happen. As the other school children grew, in both body and mind, Jimmy stayed the same. And just as the tale of Peter Pan goes, Jimmy was given the gift of free-spirit, a never-ending childhood. And with this gift, he would never have to reach the age of 13.
It wasn’t long before those around him caught on to his youthful innocence. Everywhere he went, people were drawn to his infectious love of life. And because he made it look so easy, Jimmy’s crookedness seemed to fade. He used his gift to deliver laughter and comfort to all who knew him. In his presence, family and friends welcomed the escape from adulthood and abandoned regular words to speak Jimmy’s language. He taught them to value the simple pleasures in life. And he continued these lessons with each new generation. But Jimmy’s gift would expire.
At the age of 48, all of the years he escaped, finally caught up. At first he persisted as he always had, determined to continue on his path to greatness, but his body grew tired and eventually he did too.
Jimmy Lister was born in 1972 and resided in Egg Harbor Township and Somers Point his entire life. He was separated from his mother early on and placed with extended family until the age of 12. That portion of his life was riddled with severe abuse and neglect, but it’s best not to harp on that period, as he never did. He attended Winchell School in Pomona, and later Northfield, until he graduated with the highest of honors. He has remained at home, with his family, ever since.
Jimmy did reunite with his mother, Theresa Lister, and visited her weekly in her assisted living residence, Mainland Manor. The two were enamored with one another and made up for lost time. They remained close until she passed in 2010.
It’s true Jimmy developed his own language. A “seatbucket” was a seatbelt, a “pudded” was a pillow, and “shake-a-butted” meant to dance. He had unique names for all of us, some closer to the origin than others, but we answered to them all the same. He loved hot dogs, pizza, and “skebby” and would grimace at the mention of a healthier option like a salad or fish. “I hate da fish,” he would say. He loved a party, especially if he was being celebrated, and anticipated his birthday months in advance. Each year, when asked how old he was going to be, he always responded the same, “19”.
He was a superstar baseball player. And once opening day at Field of Dreams commenced, he could speak of nothing other than all of the “touchdowns” he scored when he hit the ball. Those in attendance of the games recognized him as the wily veteran due to the fact that he far surpassed the maximum age to play in the league. But every year when signups came around his age remained “19”.
He believed in the magic of Santa Clause and the Easter “Bun Raddid” and that alone was enough to capture your heart. He loved music, dancing, and board games and was an all-star Yahtzee designated roller. He enjoyed watching “spookedy” movies, walks on the boardwalk, going to the restaurant and relaxing by the pool. And everytime he saw a plane fly overhead, he was convinced it was going to see “Micka Mouse” and would beg to go.
Jimmy was a good person. The best person. He knew nothing of judgement, anger, jealousy, or selfishness. When he came into our lives 34 years ago, he gifted us the greatest friendship we will ever know. And he left us with stories and memories of him that will be talked about for years to come. Bye Jim…”Good Luck! We “lub” you!”
A private memorial service for close friends and family will be held Thursday, May 20, 2021. In lieu of flowers, please consider volunteering your time or offering a small donation to the South Jersey Field of Dreams https://southjerseyfieldofdreams.com/.