James Alfred “Bud” Bottoms

James “Bud” Bottoms passed on peacefully in the comfort of his home and surrounded by love in the early morning of Sunday, September 23.

Artist, environmentalist, community activist, family man, gentleman: kind, considerate, and cordial. He and his wife, Carole Ann, were lovingly devoted to each other. He loved unconditionally his four sons Timothy, Joseph, Samuel (who died on 2008), Benjamin and Benjamin’s wife, Sarah; two daughters Eudora and Saren, and Eudora’s husband Matt; and his ten grandchildren Buckeye, Io, Clara, Bodie, Bridget and her fiance Vijay, Benton, Katherine, Elizabeth, Kelsan, and Abrielle. Bud’s former wife, Betty; and his sons’ former wives and current partners were also included in his big family, as was his niece, Kathy, her husband, John, and daughter, Danielle.

He is swimming with dolphins; he is flying with eagles; he is walking with the Ancestors. He is off sculpting the clouds and re-arranging the stars, but he also lives on in our hearts. May his memory be an inspiration for us to be kind to one another, care for our community, and fiercely protect the majestic sea and sacred land that surround us.

As he wished, a private family memorial at sea is planned. A public remembrance is TBA.