San Joaquin County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Persson, James H. "Red" "Kimo Persson" August 6 2004 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/usgenweb/obits/obitsca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Cheryl Davis-Holman Cis1052@aol.com September 27, 2004, 12:27 pm The Record September 26, 2004 Stockton James H. Persson, Sr. Dec. 14, 1914 - August 6, 2004 James H. Persson, Sr., 89, of Stockton, passed away on Friday August 6, 2004, at St. Joseph's Hospital. Mr. Persson was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he attended Roosevelt High School and the University of Hawaii. Known as "Red" or "Kimo Persson", one of Oahu's famous old time surfers, he surfed with Duke Paoa Kahanamoku and his brothers, and swam with Olympic swimmers, Arne Borg, Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe. Though still in high school, he was such a talented woodworker that he was commissioned to make a koa wood headboard, inlaid with the Royal Hawaiian Coat of Arms for the Palace and the Bishop Museum. He began making accurately detailed ships in bottles, a tradition that continued throughout his lifetime. A mechanic and machinist by trade, he held many world records for his racing engines in drag racers, midgets, motorcycles, speedboats and ocean racers. He was the 2001 National Champion and the 2002 World Champion in the "Texaco" class of "old timer" model airplanes. He also spent his retirement avidly gardening and creating detailed custom mats and frames. He is survived by his beloved wife of 30 years, Nadine Merrill Persson of Stockton; son, James H. Persson, Jr. of Pleasanton; grandson, Andrew Persson of Fremont; two great-grandchildren, Cory Persson and Casey Faith Persson; niece, Helen Cortez, nephews, Myron Silva and Brian Cortez of Manteca and brothers, Ralph and Gordon. He requested that no service be held and that all donations be made to: Father Flanagan's Girls and Boys Town c/o Father Val J. Peter, Boys Town Center, Boys Town, NE 68010. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ca/sanjoaquin/obits/ob1486persson.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/caobfiles/ File size: 2.4 Kb