James Lucius Gauthier, of Cassie Street in Barre Town, passed away on December 16th 2011 surrounded by his family, who admired and loved him dearly. Born in Montpelier, Vermont on June 23, 1934, Jim was the son of Lucius and Dorothy (Bissell) Gauthier. His father passed away (too) early in Jim's life and Jim spent a fair portion of his childhood on his grandfather Bissell's farm in Middlesex, helping with the chores and trying to stay out of trouble. Jim attended schools in Montpelier and Middlesex and eventually joined the Navy in 1951 at the age of 17 years old. He served aboard the destroyer USS Vesole-878, deployed as part of the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Jim was honorably discharged in 1955 holding the rank of Boilerman First Class. Shortly after his discharge, he was fortunate enough to have met a lovely young woman named Shirley Mason, whom he fell in love with, and eventually convinced to marry him. Jim and Shirley were wed on March 14, 1956 and went on to have three children, nine grandchildren and (to date) three great grandchildren. They celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in 2011. Jim started work for Norwich University in Northfield beginning in 1955, as a temporary job, handling the supplies, maintenance and repairs for the mess hall. This temporary position lasted for 41 years, until his retirement in 1996. If you wanted to eat at Norwich, you had to go through Jim. Summertime meant Harvey's Lake, in West Barnet, Vt. as Jim and Shirley managed camps for various Owners and spent a portion of every summer entertaining their children and grandchildren "at the beach". After retirement, Jim dabbled in making wooden toys and furniture for our family. Many of Jim's grandchildren have sat in the small chairs, pushed around the toys, wrote at the desks and rode in the sleds that "Papa" built. Jim and his dog, Brandy, spent many hours cruising the streets of Barre-Montpelier, visiting friends and causing civil unrest. He is survived by his wife Shirley, three children; Timothy and his wife, Vicki of Barre Town, Vt.; Keith and his fiancée Jennifer Klein of Germantown, Md.; Kerry and her husband Peter Oparowski of Williamstown, Vt. Jim has nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren (in order of age): Eric Gauthier, his wife Michelle and their daughter Ava of Driggs, Idaho; Courtney Gauthier and her fiancée Andrew Whiteford of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.; Kate (Oparowski), her husband Rick Townley and their daughter Jane, of Omaha, Nebraska; Ian Gauthier of Clifton Park, NY; Gwyn Gauthier of Barre Town, Vt; Anna Gauthier of San Francisco, California; Jessica Oparowski and her son Carter of Williamstown, Vt.; Laura Oparowski of Williamstown, Vt.; and Emily Gauthier of Rome, Italy. Jim is also survived by three brothers: Wendell of Barre, Vt.; Donald of Montpelier, Vt.; and Wm. Arnold of Olympia, Washington. He is predeceased by his older sister, Phyllis Relation of Montpelier, Vt. He also has many nieces and nephews. Jim's children and grandchildren wanted to say the following about their beloved "Papa"; Papa was friendly, sociable, outspoken, and loved to share jokes and stories, and we've all inherited his gregariousness and sense of humor--I will miss our "joke duels"--, his sense of honesty and a strong work-ethic. Papa was always there for me and my family with "fix-its:" an endless supply of advice, support, and generosity (and, when all else failed, physical and emotional duct tape). I love you, Papa, and thank you for all that I am. (Tim) Papa was a gregarious, warm, fun-loving man who could take a distant acquaintance and make them feel like an important member of our close-knit, loving family. Animals adored him and children often mistook him for Santa Claus because of his beard, jolly demeanor and generous spirit. A part of you lives on in all of us, Papa, and you will never be forgotten. (Vicki) Papa had a personality like his voice and his laugh-- it filled the room. Whether he was telling a yarn from his navy days, a bawdy joke, or a story about his cat and dog, Papa always made you smile. He was generous with his time and touched everyone who met him. They say that a person dies as they lived; James Gauthier died surrounded by loved ones, amidst laughter, tears, and fond reminiscences. (Ian) Papa always wanted to put a smile on everyone's face and make people laugh. He was always genuine, had a good heart, and was very giving. I think everyone in the family has a piece of furniture he made for each of us. I love you Papa and thank you for lighting up our lives. (Gwyn) Jim's legacy is in the way that he touched the lives of every person that he met. He is unforgettable to all who have known him; generous, reliable, honest, playful and funny. Jim was a child-at-heart. This is part of what made him such a joy to be around and gave him the ability to lift the spirits of all who crossed his path. Papa was devoted to his family. His love was sincere and unconditional. He taught his family how to tell a great joke, how to fix "darn-near" anything, how to be unapologetically true to yourself, how to welcome someone into your home and your life, how to find the humor in any situation, and, most importantly, how to be a loving and devoted son, brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. A hole will be left in the hearts of all who have had the honor of knowing Jim Gauthier. (Kerry, Peter, Katie, Rick, Jane, Jessica, Carter and Laura) Our Dad was a man with a huge heart and a sense of humor that was unparalleled. He taught us to have a positive outlook, that a joke could diffuse almost any situation, to have a sense of self, to have a hard work ethic, to never let someone step on you, to figure out how to make it work, to always be happy and never let things just happen. He cared for our Mom and she cared for him. He was a man that truly believed that family was everything and that without them …………..well, what was the point? Papa lived and loved with a grin and an attitude that made you want to grin back. That is, if you got the joke. Dad could fix almost anything, except a broken heart. This family is now full of broken hearts. Our world will never be the same. (Keith) As I walked through the door, the first time I met Jim, he greeted me with open arms, a smile from ear to ear, laughter to be heard around the world and the blessing to call him Papa. His off-beat sense of humor, constant laughter, non-stop jokes and stories full of hysterics, anecdotes, love of food, family and laughter will keep my heart full through the ups and downs in life, for as long as I live. I am eternally grateful to Papa, as well as his family, for all the acceptance and love that has been granted to me, as well as for his son Keith, the apple that fell right on the roots of his father's tree. My life has been truly enriched by Papa's heart and unforgettable bellowing laughter. It was a true gift to know you and the world's greatest gift to me…… calling you Papa.(Jennifer) Papa never let an opportunity pass to delight someone or to make them laugh with one of his stories or jokes. He taught us with his actions that everyday life can be ordinary, or it can be an opportunity to make someone smile.... and isn't that what life is all about? (Courtney) Papa lived vibrantly, joyfully, eccentrically, and full of humor. He was the ultimate grandpa for his grandchildren; he was our original Santa Claus. We will always remember his hand painted trucks, hand built wooden Christmas toys, colorful jokes, and his easy smile. Much love Papa. (Anna & Emily) Things I've learned from Papa: Loud and colorful cussing will loosen stuck bolts. Natural skin hot dogs are the best. Always love your dog. There is never an occasion that doesn't need a dirty limerick Don't ride the mower down the hill, but if you do, don't panic Never pull his finger Brush strokes make it an original... right? Never leave aerosol cans in a building you intend to burn A pat on the thigh will make a girl feel special How to pee in the woods That his butt crack can work its way into any conversation D U is awesome Madine is #2 The junk yard is full of nice looking cars, but if its engine is no good, it's of no use. There are no Indians in the back yard Everyone needs a nickname Personalized car horns are a must have Love your family Always help the old lady down the street Playing cards is fun Be creative. There are a lot of strange ways to solve a problem. A cane is regal...even with sweat pants You can never have too many hats Have some fun when no one is looking Random changing of your vehicle refreshes the soul Keep your lawn looking good, baby The back field is wet and there is a big old woodchuck out there Don't take it too seriously. Just a few things to make us smile and remember his smiling face. Papa touched and shaped all our lives and we will continue to remember and celebrate him by living the lessons he taught us, by loving us. We will all miss you,Papa (Eric aka "Gunner" & Michelle) Two days after Jim's death, his devoted dog, Brandy, heard him calling her name and followed Jim to heaven. We will all miss Papa and will always remember him as the man he was, and always will be, to us. James Lucius Gauthier's Family. There will be no calling hours. The internment will be held on June 22, 2012 at the Veteran's Cemetery in Randolph, Vt. with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Vermont National Guard. Those wishing to send on-line condolences may do so at www.guareandsons.com and go to Jim's obituary.