James Stephen Gifford

James Stephen Gifford was born February 24, 1971 to Marti Lee Buczynski and Stephen LeRoy Gifford in Oregon City, Oregon. He met his wife, Angela Marie Gifford in the summer of 1986. They were married on October 15, 1994 and had two children, James Marshall Gifford (January 17, 1996-August 1, 1996) and Jennifer Sophia Gifford (born October 12, 1997). Jim spent most of his life working in the parts industry: first in Volkswagen, then Suzuki, Mitsubishi and finally U-Haul. He was one of the most well-known and respected names in the Suzuki parts industry, winning several awards. Jim loved to travel, a seed planted when he was a young boy, traveling in Europe and to Victoria, B.C. with his parents. He honeymooned in London and then took his wife to Paris for their 15 year wedding anniversary. When his daughter turned 12, they took a family vacation back to Paris, and for the next several years spent their spring breaks overseas, either to Paris or London. Jim and Angela also took a trip to Thailand and always hoped to return with their daughter. Jim loved to cook. He spoiled his wife and daughter by doing all of the grocery shopping and cooking. He watched cooking shows, read cooking magazines and studied different culinary methods. He especially loved making Thai curry dishes and had a knack for \u0026quot;spicing up\u0026quot; his wife\u0027s favorite comfort foods: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti bolognese, pot stickers and chicken pot pie. Jim had the most creative and all-encompassing sense of humor. Even after being together for 30 years, he could still make his wife laugh. He had a photographic memory and would recite lines from his favorite movies and shows at the drop of a hat. In fact, if his wife were telling him a story and she said a certain phrase, she would automatically pause and wait for his humorous interjection, then continue when he was done. All of the above was shared intimately with his father. They were so much alike, it was uncanny. They both loved cooking, traveling, and shared the same silly/witty sense of humor. They both were well-respected in the parts business, albeit Steve in Nissan and Honda. Jim\u0027s mom also played a pivotal role in his life. He inherited her love of travel, insight and ability to passionately believe in an idea. One of the highlights of Jim\u0027s travel experiences was going to Thailand with his mom. He always planned to take her to Egypt. The most important people in Jim\u0027s life were his wife and daughter. He went above and beyond to make them happy and give them everything they could ever want, let alone need. The proudest moment in his life was seeing his daughter take a big leap and attend University of British Columbia in Canada. He always said he couldn\u0027t wait for her to be smarter and have a better life than he did. Jim loved getting to know people, talking but mostly listening to them. At times, his anxiety kept him from being directly involved in social events. However, he was a constant presence and supporter in anything involving his loved ones. Jim was the most generous, giving person and will leave a huge hole that can never be filled. He was a devoted husband, father, son and friend to all who met him. May he rest in peace."",