James Lawrence Lamport, (Jimbo, Lampy, Papa Bear, Grampy Lampy) passed away unexpectedly on June 23, 2024 at the age of 77.
Most obituaries outline the education, careers, and accomplishments of one’s life, but as a lifelong resident of Hobart and those who knew him, know this history.
Growing up as a Lamport in the community, you were always asked the same question when someone heard your name: “Which one are you, Jim or Frank’s?”
Once the response was Jim’s, it was usually followed up with some mischievous act that Jim had committed or a story that involved him and his friends hanging out and events that probably shouldn’t have been shared with his children. But there were other stories about kind acts Jim had done for folks when they were down on their luck.
Over the years Jim opened his home to those who had fallen on hard times or who needed to escape home lives that were less than pillar. Jim always left the door open to his home and over the years we watched many friends come through the door, sharing their memories and creating new ones.
He not only taught his four children how to fend for themselves through hunting and fishing, but how to overcome any adverse obstacles that came in their way through perseverance and hard work, and with a profanity or two. He never turned down a good or controversial discussion with his daughters-in-law and introduced his son-in-law to upstate living at its finest.
Jim provided a place for his six grandchildren to enjoy being kids with endless days of swimming in the pond, late night hide-and-seek, and ice cream on the porch.
He provided a home where there was never a shortage of laughs and he accomplished this by having the best partner and “rock” in the world by his side - his wife for 56 years, Eleanor Lamport, who was there with him early in the morning on the farm and late at night when the lights went off in the barn.
There are never enough words to adequately sum up one’s life and Jim was never short with words, no matter how colorful they were. In closing this final chapter on Jimbo’s life, we think it’s only best to take the words from one of his favorite songs we listened to during those late nights on the front porch: “Well I never been to heaven, but I been to Oklahoma; Oh, they tell me I was born there, but I don’t really remember, in Oklahoma, not Arizona, What does it matter? What does it matter?” (Never Been to Spain by Three Dog Night)
James is survived by his wife Eleanor Lamport of Stamford; children Thomas (Amy) Lamport of Bovina, James (Tracey) Lamport of Palm Beach Garden, Florida, Kathleen (Chris) Myers of Lagrangeville, and Luke (Courtney) Lamport of Ballston Spa; six grandchildren: Elizabeth, James, George, Jacob, Branden and Carter.
A celebration of James’s life will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 30, at St. James Episcopal Church at Lake Delaware, 55 Lake Delaware Drive, Delhi, with the Rev. Paul More, celebrant. Private burial will take place in Locust Hill Cemetery, Hobart.
Visit www.macarthurfh.com to share a condolence with the Lamport family.
