James "Jim" Scott Hands

On March 13, 2025, compassion and laughter lost an ally as James (Jim) Scott Hands (aka ‘Sir Jim’, ‘Throwbag’, and probably several other nicknames we are still learning about) left this world after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Jim was born on March 15,1967 in Hammond, Indiana to James and Adele Hands and was raised in nearby Highland. He stayed in state and graduated from Purdue University receiving a BS in Management. While at Purdue, Jim’s love of music led him to work for the dormitory radio Station as a DJ, which served him well as he later volunteered and became a well-loved DJ for HotRocksRadio.com. He also started playing Bass guitar, which remained a lifetime passion for him.

While at Purdue he met his future wife, Catherine (Cathy) Hands. On July 18, 1992, Cathy and Jim were wed.

Jim’s passions included music (specifically the band Rush), Bass Guitar, karaoke, the outdoors/hiking, craft beer, the Chicago Bears, Bourbon, tie-dye clothing, human rights, Dungeons and Dragons, his motorcycle, chess and his dogs (not in any order). He was active in charity work for the Make a Wish foundation and Autism Speaks.

Jim lived knowing no strangers. One could not be around Jim for any length of time without knowing who he was. His outgoing personality shone in a crowded room and commanded attention in his direction, where he would proceed to do his best to entertain.

Jim could find humor in everything. He made it his purpose to ensure that others laughed and were having a good time, even when he did not feel like laughing himself. Some people may have felt that his humor bordered on bad taste at times, but his intention was always to make people see either the lighter side of a situation, or the folly of it.

Jim is survived by his stepmother Pat Hands, a brother Jeff Hands and his wife Angela and their children Kayla and Katie, a sister Linda Hands, and WAY too many friends to mention by name.

As this is being written, Jim is surely looking down and screaming ‘MAKE IT FUNNIER!!’. But alas, no one was funny like Jim.

A memorial gathering will be held from 4:00-7:00 pm, Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel, 2075 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29307.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to, Make A Wish - South Carolina, https://wish.org/sc, Autism Speaks, www.autismspeaks.org, or a charity of choice.