Sober 50 years since 9/4/1960 at the time of this talk, Jim was always energized by the young people in the rooms. I consider this the best of all his talks I have heard. It is great for the delivery and content but most for how, in his 80's, he managed to connect deeply with a room full of young alcoholics.
Jim got sober in Rosary Hall with Sister Ignatia in Cleveland. He was a well known T.V. personality who, once sober, used his talents to travel the world attending AA meetings in many different places. He said several times that AA is not what it used to be...it is better.
At 88 years old and 54 years sober, on Monday September 8, 2014 Jim died of bladder cancer after only 24 hours in hospice. He refused pain medications on that last day, I believe, so as not to cloud his final experience on earth.
He was kind to me when I first came into the program and continued as our friendship grew. I saw him a few weeks before he died. He was still sharp and we laughed and cried together.
Here is a video from that last meeting of Jim reading a poem he wrote called Dixieland Funeral.
He taught me how to live and then he taught me how to die.
I can only pay it forward. \
I cannot pay it back.
 Jim Doney died Monday 9/8/2014 88 years old and 54 years sober |
