Jim Loveless

Don James Loveless

1931 – 2021

Our loving, wonderful father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and brother, age 90, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on August 26, 2021.  He was born in Provo, Utah on February 22, 1931 to Alfred Davis Loveless (Fred) and Martha LaFay Parker (Fay), the first of four children. His name came from a novel his father was reading at the time entitled, “Jim the Conqueror” and the hero was named Don James.  He answered to Jim, Jimmie, James or D James depending on who was talking to him!  He married Evelyn Marie Hilgendorff on December 3, 1953. She preceded him in death on January 24, 2018.  They were the parents of six children, grandparents of twenty-five and great-grandparents of forty-one.

Jim grew up in Provo, Utah, where he had many adventures as he attended Franklin Elementary, Dixon Junior High and Provo High schools.  He enjoyed his friends and remained in contact with many of them throughout his life.  His parents were musicians and tried to encourage Jim to play an instrument, but when he found out he would actually have to practice to learn how to play, he wasn’t so interested until junior high school, when the orchestra teacher asked him to play the string bass.  He jumped at the idea, because the bass was too big to carry home to practice!  That began his love for all kinds of music and preparation for becoming a great musician. That orchestra teacher (John Hilgendorff) later became his father-in-law.  Jim met Evelyn Hilgendorff at Provo High School while playing in the orchestra. When he was a sophomore at BYU, he was drafted into the army during the Korean War and served as a cryptographic specialist. When he returned, Jim and Evelyn were married.  After three children were born, they moved to Salt Lake City where they were blessed with three more children, all in ten and half years!  They moved to Bountiful, Utah in 1968 and have resided there until their passing.  Jim graduated from BYU with a master’s degree in Musicology and also received his secondary teaching certificate.  He taught band, orchestra, general music, history, and mathematics in elementary, junior high and high school. He also played the bass in the Utah Symphony and various jazz bands.

Jim had a great zest for life and loved to be with and do things with his family.  Each child thought they were his favorite, because he did different things with each.  He loved skiing, racquetball and softball in his early years and then, after a knee replacement, continued to love radio control airplane flying, golf, sailing, hunting, archery, reading, chatting with people, and church activity. In the church, he served in various callings throughout his life.  He especially loved teaching Gospel Doctrine, leading the choir and ministering.  In his later years, he loved taking the widows he ministered to out to breakfast or lunch!

Jim is survived by his children, Connie (David) Ewing, Alan (Michelle), Dan (MaryAnne), Roger (Linda), Kelly (Rachel), and Sherilyn, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sisters, Jeanne Mackley, Karalyn (Nick) Cronk, Ranny (Deloy) Young, and many other extended family and life-long friends. He is preceded in death by his parents and wife, Evelyn.

The family would like to thank his doctors, nurses and the VA staff for the love and care they extended to him.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at the Oak Hills Chapel, 455 South 1200 East, Bountiful, Utah.  Friends may visit with the family Wednesday, September 1, 2021 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary 727 N. 400 E. and on Thursday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church prior to the services.  Interment will be at the Bountiful City Cemetery.

Funeral services will be live-streamed and may be viewed by going to www.lindquistmortuary.com and scrolling to the bottom of Jim's obituary page.

The family requests that attendees wear a mask.

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