Gary James Obituary

Gary Lee James was born on April 24, 1948 in Lawrence, Kansas, of parents were Elmer James, Sr. and Kathryn (Diehl) James. Gary lived his entire life in Lawrence, and passed away on June 1, 2023. He is predeceased by his brothers, Larry and Elmer. He leaves behind Kristin, his wife; sons, Aaron (Rosemary, wife) and Lee; grandchildren, Ally, Hayes and Ashley; and Judy Cole-Traylor and Stephen James, his sister and brother. He ran James Gang Automotive in North Lawrence for a number of years together with his brother Elmer James, Jr., and the business was noted for the quality of their auto repair.

Gary was known by many for his prowess with all things automobile-related. He was a regular at the Lawrence Dragway, starting at the age of 15, and continued to race, in later years in the 67 Camaro that he built from the ground up. Gary was also noted for his transmission expertise. Although he officially retired in the mid-1990s, he continued to help friends with car woes. He was, indeed, a master of his trade and will be missed by many. Donations can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Online condolences made at rumsey-yost.com