Obituary of James Richard Carver

Our kind, sweet dad passed away peacefully at home in Meridian, Idaho on October 21, 2021 after a short and aggressive bout with pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by his loved-ones and the many beautiful wood works he made with great care throughout his life. Jimmy to his dad and mom, dad was born on December 4, 1942 at Fort Sam Houston Army Hospital, San Antonio, Texas. After his dad, Colonel Max Carver (a WWII Army doctor), finished service, their family relocated to Filer, and then later Twin Falls, Idaho.

Dad was a quiet, contemplative, witty, non-judgmental, and methodical thinker. He made his way through life with laughter, style, logic, and grace. He always seemed to see and understand both sides of every issue and accepted all people and their perspectives. He especially appreciated the history and culture of the Nez Perce people and their homelands and had a high regard for the stories of Chief Joseph. And even though his own heritage was Scottish, English, Danish, and Norwegian, he described himself as “half cowboy/half Indian” because of his respect for all people and their viewpoints.

He loved watching Westerns as a kid, appreciating the “good guys” as the heroes, and he even recently commented about how one of his doctors reminded him of one of the hero gun slingers of the Old West. We laughed at the metaphor.

Dad had an amazing mechanical mind and went to work in electronics as a Transmission Man with AT&T Long Lines at Salt Lake Junction, Utah in the early 1960s. He later transferred to Pacific Bell in the Los Angeles Central Area of California, and then in the early 1970s returned to Idaho to work for Mountain Bell in Boise. He succeeded in most of his ventures and learned from all of them, retiring in 2007 after a 43-year career. He had many stories to tell about his work, especially of driving the snowcat up to Deer Point (top of the mountain next to Bogus Basin) to do the routines that kept all our phones working down in the valley. He was instrumental in the expansion of fiber optics throughout the region, setting a path for today’s communications.

Dad met the love of his life, Rhea Darlene McGuigan of Kimberly, Idaho, while they were students at Twin Falls High. She resisted at first, but he was a handsome devil who eventually won her hand in marriage and her undying love for the rest of his life. They were married at the Twin Falls Christian Church on September 5, 1962 before their family and friends. We have great photographs of that day and will treasure them always.  Dad and Mom raised three children: Amanda Lynn “Mandi” Carver Roberts (Steve), Karinne Elizabeth “Kari” Carver Courtney (Michael), and Joey James Carver. Dad was immensely proud of his children and their accomplishments, as well as his two grandsons, Nathan James Roberts and Carson Douglas Roberts.

Dad’s love of the West and Idaho was apparent every day – he had been to so many nooks and crannies of this state, starting with trips as a boy with his family and then later leading us on many camping and fishing expeditions. His love of the mountains, rivers, streams, sagelands, canyons, flora, and fauna of Idaho inspired our love of nature and our IdaHOME. He and mom worked hard on our small acreage in Eagle—creating the perfect place for us to grow up, with animals, gardens, and green lawns to lay on and look up at the blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

Dad LOVED fly fishing in Idaho’s streams. He would battle the steep, rocky banks and occasional rattlesnakes in Malad Canyon to get to the TROUT! He loved fishing and Malad so much, he took Mom there on their first date! Later, as soon as we kids were old enough, he made us bamboo fishing poles and taught us how to gather night crawlers for bait and fish in places like Penny Lake, Dollar Lake, and of course Redfish Lake – magical places for children. Cooking trout on the campfire will always be part of our collective family memory.

He learned to play the banjo, made his own unique, exquisite banjo, and enjoyed Bluegrass music, getting together with friends to play and to attend festivals over the years. His mastery at wood crafts was exceptional. Over the years, he churned out beautiful tables, wooden boxes, cabinets, shelves, breadboards, bowls, and other furnishings and gifts for family and friends. His workshop was immaculately kept. He loved trees AND wood, with oak trees and wood being his favorite. He also was a great golfer and enjoyed the sport immensely after his retirement.

We were lucky to have Dad as our father. He worked hard and showed us the importance of taking responsibility, being reliable and accountable, and taking care of others, including his lifelong devotion to our mom. He was a gentle guide to us in many ways over the years. We love him and mom with all our hearts, and we will always think of him and smile.

Dad was preceded in death by his mother, Hazel; father, Max; sister, Sharon Rae Carver; brother, John Alan Carver, and sister, Maxine Kay Boehm. Private graveside services will be held at Dry Creek Cemetery under the direction of Accent Funeral Home on October 28, 2021.

Dad would want to advise everyone to get early screening for cancer and be vigilant about check-ups with your doctors.

Bye, Dad, we love you….don’t worry about us…we’ll be okay.

 

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