James Sabin Cassell
James "Jim" Sabin Cassell, 72, of Salt Lake City, died at his home Tuesday, April 21, 2015 suddenly of heart related complications. A fourth-generation Idahoan, his lifetime bridged the post-depression era to the modern technical age and he enjoyed what life had to offer at every turn.
He was born August 5, 1942, in Wendell, Idaho to Melvin "Jack" James Cassell and Edna Irene Myers Cassell. The family farmed in the Bliss, Idaho area before moving to Gooding when he was in the fifth grade. The summer after his freshman year they moved to Mountain Home, Idaho. He graduated from Mountain Home High School where he was active in basketball and football. He also learned to play pool and golf, which he enjoyed playing much of his life.
He married Dawn Collins in Boise, Idaho, in 1959 and they had four children. They later divorced.
He married Kelly Nielsen December 24, 1984; the date, a nod to his parents who also married on Christmas Eve. They had two daughters.
As a young man, he drove semi-tractor trailers for Mountain States Wholesale, the Trail Blazers, and later for Garrett Freight Lines. He moved his family to Jerome and on to Pocatello, Idaho with those jobs. He drove long-haul for Garrett's until 1972. At about that time he started at a cement construction company; which eventually led him to his second career as a construction superintendent with Interwest Construction in Salt Lake City. His work included a portion of the Grand Teton Mall in Idaho Falls, schools and swimming pools in Spanish Fork, Utah and Vernal, Utah, and many buildings in southeast Idaho, the Salt Lake Valley and Elko, NV. He retired from Interwest in 2009 after 30 years of services.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister and brother-in-law Geraldine and Floyd Bankson; and his son-in-law Jeremie Saville.
He is survived by his wife Kelly Cassell of Salt Lake City, Utah; his children Steve Cassell, Cindy (Rick) Meyer of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Teresa (Robert Paul) Robinson of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Brenda (Rudyard J) Kipling of Seattle, WA., Cori Saville of Parowan, Utah, Casey Cassell (Steven Warner) of Salt Lake City, Utah; and his 13 beloved grandchildren Jamie Jackson, Erica and Matthew Meyer, Katie and Jake Robinson, Garrett and McCall Kipling, Alex (Taylor) Saville, Scarlett Saville, Harrison Saville, Jeremie Saville Jr., Phoenix Saville, and Damien Warner. He was as well greatly anticipating the births of 2 great grandchildren.
Celebration of Life Services will be held in June to honor the wonderful memory of Jim.