On Saturday, June 15th, James (Jim, Jimmy) Cameron, 82, of Danville, NH, passed
away from complications after a fall. He had been ill the previous few months as well,
and his family would like to thank all of his doctors and various other caregivers from
Elliot Hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock, and Catholic Medical in Manchester, NH, as well
as Parkland Medical in Derry NH, and the EMT services in Danville, NH. Their kindness
and compassion did not go unnoticed and we are grateful to them all. Jim was born in
Lowell, MA, in 1941, to Kenneth and Rosalie Cameron. He was raised in Lowell,
attending Lowell High School, where he first began playing the saxophone. Jim briefly
spent time at Boston College and Rhode Island School of Design before earning his
degree from St. Anselm's College, in Manchester, NH, where he met his wife, Elizabeth.
They were married in 1968 and raised three children, Jaimie, Heather, and Lonnae.

Jim began playing the saxophone professionally in 1958, and although he considered
himself a self-taught player, he studied briefly with Lee Konitz and Jackie McLean. He
performed with Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Garrison, 'Papa' Joe Jones, Phil Woods, Buddy
Tate, Red Holloway, Teddy Kotick, and Clark Terry. During the '70s and '80s, Jim was
prominent on the Boston jazz scene as a member of the Bunny Smith Quartet, playing
all the major and not-so-major Boston jazz clubs and the Boston Globe Jazz Festival. In
the 80's Jim toured the US and Canada with blues legends Katie Webster and Mighty
Sam McLaine, and can be heard on several CDs from such labels as Brownstone, GM,
and Sea Breeze. Jim performed at jazz clubs, concerts, and festivals around the world,
including England, France, Portugal, Vancouver, and Japan. Until recently, he divided
his time playing in three big bands, two nonets, a sextet, and various smaller jazz
ensembles in the New England area.

When he wasn't playing the sax, he was often
found at home doing yardwork in one of his beautiful gardens. Jim and his wife
Elizabeth were avid gardeners, and at one point both were NH master gardeners. He
loved animals and spent decades adopting retired racing greyhounds until he ended up
with one tiny Dachshund, Teddy, who is still waiting for his return. Jim enjoyed many
forms of art and returned to painting in various styles repeatedly during his life. Jim
could be a quiet man in large groups, but amongst friends and family was often quite
the ham. Nothing made him happier than making his children laugh and the daily 5 pm
family dinner was often a loud and rowdy affair with terrible jokes and lots of hilarity. He
was a true friend and left behind many close relationships, some going back almost 70
years.

Jim was a beautiful man and artist and will be missed in many ways. Jim was
preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth and is survived by his daughters Lonnae and
Heather Turrell and husband Tyrone, his son James and wife Mary, and his
granddaughter Freyja. The eldest of three siblings, Jim is survived by his siblings,
Marilyn Proctor and Rosalie Mallia, and his brothers-in-law Jeffrey Proctor and Anthony
Mallia, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Calling hours are Sunday, June 30th from
1-3 pm, at Douglas and Johnson Funeral Home, 214 Main St., Salem, NH. There will be
a gathering at Jim's house in Danville, NH after. All are invited to come eat, drink, and
enjoy music. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the NHSPCA The New
Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, PO Box 196, 104
Portsmouth Avenue, Stratham, NH 03885. To send a message of condolence to the
family, please view the obituary at www.douglasandjohnson.com.