James Rogie Warness

James Rogie Warness, 75, of Georgetown, died Tuesday February 18. He was born to the late Paul and Oline Warness in Oakland April 5, 1938 and survived by his sister Lena Chyle, numerous cousins and multitudes of friends. Jimmy graduated from Fremont High School in Oakland and attended Oakland City College. One of his early passions was scuba diving which led to his commercial abalone business back in the day that it was legal. He relocated to San Luis Obispo County where he had worked summers as a farmhand on his uncle's ranch, studied at Cal Poly, worked at Atascadero State Hospital as a psych tech and volunteered as a firefighter. In 1961 he was drafted into the Army serving his active duty 1961 to 1963 working as a med tech at Madigan General Hospital at Fort Lewis, WA. Back in Oakland and undecided about his future he ventured a solo walk through California from the Mexican border to the Oregon border before commercial freeze-dried food or hi-tech equipment and before the Pacific Crest Trail was designated. The daily journals he mailed along the way are fascinating reading, very Jimmy. He worked in the laboratory at Shell Oil for a time and also welded beautiful metal sculptures. When his parents moved to Auburn in 1967 Jimmy used dynamite to break up the hard packed clay soil in the yard and created them a beautiful garden. He was a very creative person and did whatever he did meticulously and superbly as any who knew him is aware. He moved to Georgetown in 1973(?) and ran the Texaco gas station. After a few years he bought the "tar paper shack" and rebuilt it into a real home, added a barn and began seriously collecting Stuff. He became a logger, driving his beloved log truck "Leapin' Lena" until he retired her a few years back. Once home on a regular basis he began spending extended time in his garden and became a good cook. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Native Sons of the Golden West and E. Clampus Vitus. All who knew Jim know he was the most loyal and generous friend a person could have. He was without question a strong individual and a deep thinker, never bowing to custom or society. He was curious, knowledgeable, resourceful and determined. Jimmy loved deeply and was loved in return by many who knew him. He will be missed. A memorial will be held at IOOF in Georgetown April 5 at 2:00 p.m.