James Thomas Nakashima

James Thomas Nakashima

jt nakashima?, beloved son, brother, nephew, grandson and friend, died unexpectedly in his sleep Sunday, September 13th, 2015. jt? was born with his twin sister Lizzy, on July 14th, 1993 to Christie North and Bruce Nakashima. From the very beginning, jt?'s endless curiosity shined through. He was a voracious reader, reading anything and everything. You could talk to him about any subject and he would have more than just a passing knowledge. His motto was "question everything", hence, his signature always ended with the question mark.

jt? loved to travel, taking his first plane trip at 10 months. He enjoyed family trips to Hawaii, the Bahamas and road trips throughout the West and to Canada; a summer ski trip to Portillo, Chile with his Dad and Uncle Brian; trips to Minneapolis and Chicago with Aunt Julie and Uncle Mark; and trips to Australia, Canada and Mexico with his best friend and soul mate Gretchen Sherwood. He was also looking forward to an upcoming trip to Portugal with Gretchen, Aunt Julie and Uncle Mark.

jt? was also very creative and artistic, creating many unique paintings and other works of art. He had a great love for animals - his orange tabby Marmalade, stray cats in Hawaii and the Bahamas, the mascot St. Bernard at the Hotel Portillo, koala in Australia, lion cub and toucan in Mexico. And, his family and close friends will always remember quick wit and dry sense of humor.

While attending Skyline High School, he earned both his Pharmacy Tech Certification and Phlebotomy License upon graduation in 2011. He enjoyed working in the Pharmacy at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and his many friends there. jt? was also a junior at the University of Utah, College of Engineering.

jt? is survived by his parents; twin sister Lizzy; aunts and uncles Brian Nakashima, Julie and Mark Mele, Sandy (Cookie) North, Simon Linwood, Dan North and Sheila Linwood; cousins Mike Johnson and Lexie Linwood; and grandfather Frank Nakashima. Preceded in death by grandparents Gene and Patty North and grandmother Helen Nakashima.

A wake will be held to honor jt? on Friday, October 2nd, 2015 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City. Complimentary valet parking will be provided on the north side of the building.