James (Big Jim) Howard Ammons was born March 6, 1931 in Jackson Co., North Carolina to Emma E. Ammons. On January 21, 2021 he passed away peacefully at home at the age of 89, surrounded by family, after a valiant fight with cancer.  He was raised and educated in North Carolina and in Washington as his family moved several times; until finally settling in the Clear Lake area of Skagit County.  Jim served in the Army during the Korean War with the experience of two helicopter crashes and being lost in a foreign country.  Jim was always an entrepreneur and inventor, always creating working opportunities.  From owning a cedar shake company, to working for several logging companies as a feller, to raising chickens (fryers) and settling into being the owner of Jim's Alder Smelter Poles, he always was working with his hands or tinkering with something.  Jim also enjoyed gambling and at one time had gone to Reno with a friend, where had won several thousand dollars. As he was headed out of the casino, he was robbed.  He did not wait around for the police,  he figured out where the robber would run, went there and caught the thief himself!

Early on in life, Jim developed a love of motorcycles.  His first motorcycle was an Indian which he promptly got into trouble with…when Jim started the cycle, it went out of control and down through his Grandmother Ada's garden entirely ruining her crop of green beans!  Oh, oh! but Grandma came out laughing hard and saying how funny that looked!  Jim later owned three BSA motorcycles that he used for racing and club rides.  He and his brother-in-law, Sam Nations, who was his mechanic, rode one motorcycle into California where Jim won the flat trac event in his class by riding over 141 mph.  After the race, Jim and Sam placed the trophy between them and rode the motorcycle back to Washington.  The last time family checked, the record was still held by Jim.  Jim was thrilled to have seen Top Banana race for the first time while at Pacific Raceways in Kent.

Jim always had an affinity for animals.  His first "pet" was a blue racer snake that he led around on a string.  He always owned a dog if he could.  When he and his family moved to Bow Hill area, Jim tamed a feral cat enough that it would come to the house to be petted through the window glass.  He could scratch the back of a bee without getting stung.  He was always pleased to have his little companion dog, Scooby, cuddle with him in his final days.

Jim's first marriage was to Audrey Dyksterhuis, to this marriage came the birth of three sons – James Howard, Timothy and Richard, and one daughter, Stephanie.  After his first marriage ended in divorce, Jim then married Connie Scales and they had a son, Roy.  Then in 1964, Jim married Sylvia McClelland.  Two sons, Chris and Craig were born to this marriage.  Along with raising their own children, Jim and Sylvia opened their home to several family and foster children.  All were loved and a big part of the Ammons family.

Jim was preceded in death by his mother, Emma Moore; his step-father, Frank Moore; his sisters, Merle Fox and Helen Nations; his brothers, Carl (Bud) Ammons, Roy Lee (Bob) Ammons and Jack Moore; his son, Timothy Ammons; his daughter, Stephanie Shearer; his daughter-in-law, Eleanor Schmidt; and by a grandson, Lewis Eldridge.

Jim is survived by his wife, Sylvia; his sons, James Howard (Denise), Richard, Chris, Craig (Jeri), Roy Eldridge (Janie); by his son-in-law, Steve Whalen: his brother, E.G. Ammons ("little brother"); by his brother-in-law, Sam Nations; grandchildren, Michelle, Shannon, Jason, Joshua, Chloe, Cheyenne, Caleb, Peyton, Tabitha, Natalie and Russell and six great grandchildren and extended family including Lene Schille, Tammy Cleveland, Christopher Livingston; and his faithful companion, Scooby.

With special thanks to PeaceHealth Oncology at United General Hospital in Sedro Woolley, WA., and also to Mary Rodgers, for their compassionate care.  Along with many "thank yous" to the volunteers who make Hospice such a blessing.  Many thanks to our son, Craig and his wife, Jeri, for opening their home and extending such loving care.  We could not have coped without so much love and support from all of our family and friends.

There will be no services at this time.  An announcement for a memorial and motorcycle tribute will be published at a later date.