Jim Davenport

Jim Davenport, 65, of Missoula, MT, passed away at home on Thursday morning November 18, 2021. In January he was diagnosed with a malignant sarcoma tumor in his right arm. He was strong and hopeful that he would beat the cancer. Ultimately it was a pulmonary embolism, which suddenly and unexpectedly took his life. On February 15, 1956, Jim, the fourth of seven children, was born in Missoula to Don and Aileen Davenport. He attended Paxson Elementary School and in 1974 he graduated from Sentinel High School. Jim was a very hard worker and always held one or two jobs. He worked at Anders Business Solutions for 40 years in every capacity. He was the General Manager for the last 25 years until his departure at the end of September. His exceptional leadership grew it into a very successful and reputable business. He was well-liked, admired, and respected by anyone that had the opportunity to learn from him. Many employees consider him a mentor and will always cherish his words of wisdom. Jim and Shari met in January of 1986 when Shari’s roommate started working at Anders. They got to know each other while playing volleyball at Christian Life Center (CLC), attending various Bible studies and group functions. Jim knew Shari liked him before she knew it herself. He told her that he wanted to get married by the end of that year. She suggested he start looking for someone because it wasn’t going to be her! She finally came to her senses and realized they don’t make men better than Jim, (plus he was cute when he grew his beard back). They were married on November 29, 1986, at CLC - just like he’d planned. Anyone who knew Jim and Shari knew that their bond was exceptional. They truly loved, honored, and respected each other. They worked together off and on at the business and had the privilege of going on many dealer incentive trips to Europe and various tropical locations. They shared many common interests and were best friends. They adored spending time together, whether it was playing golf, pickleball, going on a vacation, or just hanging out together. Their home was always peaceful, welcoming, and full of laughter. Jim was an incredible husband and father, selflessly putting everyone else first. He was patient and kind, always taking time to play with his kids, supporting and attending all their activities, and building many amazing memories with them. He was consistently positive, calm, thoughtful, honest, and so easy to love. We will all remember him encouraging us to be the very best we could be, to smile, and stay positive. He led by example in everything he did. His character was impeccable. He never complained or spoke negatively of others. Lots of people speak highly of their loved ones, but we truly feel he was the best of the best. In the last four years, Jim developed an addiction for which he was unwilling to seek help. Pickleball. It was his favorite; it even superseded his love for golf. The people and the sport added such richness to Jim and Shari’s life. He was competitive and enjoyed playing in tournaments with Shari and others. He was looking forward to retiring and spending much of his time on the courts. In July he played in his last tournament and took first at the 4. 5 level Men’s doubles. He was remarkably talented at nearly everything he attempted and yet remained humble all the same. He was preceded in death by his little brother Russell and his father Don. He is survived by his wife, Shari, children Shannon (husband Bryan), Jessie, Luke, and Lindsey, granddaughter Chloe, his mother Aileen, and siblings, Kris, Carole, Camille, Kim, and Jeff. We will miss you so much Jim!! A Celebration of Life will be held at Christian Life Center, 3801 South Russell, Missoula, MT on Saturday, December 4, 2021, at 1:00 p. m. MTN Coffee & sweets will be served after. Everyone is welcome to attend. The service will also be streamed live at www. missoulachurch. com/live We would love for people to share photos, or record a short video telling a story or memory of Jim and upload them to this public shared Google album: https://photos. app. goo. gl/edRNp6dDycZC4MKh9