Jimmie Steven Gandrup

Born July 14, 1950, in Watsonville, and died peacefully at home after a battle with cancer on June 16, 2022.

His plans to die by a gunshot from a jealous husband while climbing out the wife's window at 103 didn't quite pan out.

Instead, he led a colorful life after an extended stay at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, made his mom proud graduating with a degree in Natural Resources Management and was proud to hold the title of longest paving contractor in the Pajaro Valley, with his company Silver Bullet Paving. He had a strong tie to the Earth and was quite respectful and appreciative of the environment. A voracious reader, he had a theory on just about everything, but you had to be in a "need to know" basis to ever get the full story. Then there were the tales of Cactus Jim on the many 4-wheel drive survival trips taken to Death Valley.

Everybody in town knew Jim. He ate out at his favorite local restaurants every day, not just because he liked to chat with all his buddies around town, but he really couldn't cook…. boiling his home-grown squash was, however, a specialty.

Jim is survived by his beloved cat "Bullet," "Tracker" the pup, and an assortment of chickens, his sister Marion Gandrup Lyng, her daughters Karen Lyng Atkins and Jennifer Lyng Watson, and other nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held in his honor at the Pajaro Valley Rod & Gun Club on his birthday July 14th, 2022, at 5 pm.

Mehl's Colonial Chapel was entrusted with the funeral arrangements.

Published in The Pajaronian · June 24, 2022