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By Kent Larsen
LDS Bishop Remembered in San Jose Mercury News
LDS Bishop Remembered in San Jose Mercury News
MORGAN HILL, CALIFORNIA -- The sudden death of Bishop James Allen
Tilley at age 43 has members of the Morgan Hill 1st Ward of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remembering him as a
community leader who led by doing. Tilley died last Saturday after
collapsing at the wheel of the family's van as he was driving his
family out to dinner.
Fellow ward member Hal Hendrickson remembered Tilley's service as
selfless love, "I remember when the home of a single father with
seven children burned down a few weeks ago. Jim coordinated relief
efforts, finding them a place to stay and helping replace some of the
physical comforts they'd lost in the fire," Hendrickson said. "That
was typical of Jim, who served so many with such selfless love."
Ted Helvey, described in the Mercury News as Tilley's 'closest aide,'
said Tilley easily reached others. "Jim was a large man in the church
and in the community. He endeared himself to people because of an
unusual combination of strength and gentleness," Helvey said. "His
religion was fact, not faith or hope, and he kept in touch with the
real life of people."
A native of Long Beach, California, Tilley was raised there and in
Burley, Idaho, his father's hometown, where the family moved after
becoming concerned with the deterioration of California's schools. In
high school, Tilley excelled in sports, lettering in football,
basketball and baseball all four years. Best in baseball, Tilley
managed to get the starting catcher position at BYU as a freshman
after walking on.
Returning fom an LDS mission to Adelaide, Australia, Tilley earned an
engineering degree and moved to Southern California, where he worked
for several companies, including FMC Corp., before joining Internet
publishing firm iUniverse.com this past January. Tilley also served
in various LDS Church positions in Sunnyvale and San Jose before the
family moved to Morgan Hill.
Source:
James Allen Tilley, 43, bishop, family man and community leader
San Jose CA Mercury News 22Mar01 P2
By Dale Rodebaugh: Mercury News
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