Family, friends remember Jimmie's smile

CANFIELD

Talk to the family and friends of Jimmie Jarvis, and they will all mention one thing about Jimmie that stood out more than any other: his smile.

“Wherever you would go, the whole room would light up with his bright smile,” said his mother, Janice Jarvis.

James “Jimmie” Jarvis Jr. died June 27 at the age of 25 after a 2012 accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury from which he never recovered.

In the weeks after his death, his family and friends recalled his smile, his ability to make them laugh, his fun-loving nature, his intelligence, his love for his family, how deeply caring he was and, above all, how he lived his 25 years to the fullest. They also recalled the difficult months during which he fought for his life, and pondered the legacy he left behind him.

A lifelong Canfield resident, Jarvis graduated from Canfield High School in 2007 and from Youngstown State University in 2011 with a degree in biological sciences. In 2011, Jarvis started medical school at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was two weeks away from starting his second year of medical school when he was in a motorcycle accident Aug. 5, 2012.

That Saturday, Jimmie told his mom he was taking his bike out for a last ride, as he was giving it away Monday.

Read more about this beloved young man in Tuesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.