Lakewood Care Center resident James Lange Jr. would never have admitted to being 45. As far as he was concerned, 39 was old enough.
That playful sense of humor was familiar to staff at the care center. James could be quiet at first, but the people who knew him best could count on a joke or a deliberately mixed-up name. He had a way of making their workdays brighter and becoming part of their lives.
Sadly, James passed away on Tuesday morning, Sept. 22, at the age of 45 while at Staples Dialysis, located in the lower level of Lakewood’s senior campus.
As word reached the care center, staff began making their way downstairs to say goodbye. Nurses, CNAs and office staff arrived one after another, many in tears, sharing stories about James. It was clear how they cared about him.
James had called Lakewood Care Center home since November 2019. He lived with significant health and mental health challenges, including the loss of both legs. But those challenges were only one part of his story.
Pam Brown, RN, was one of James’s closest friends at the care center. He often spent his days next to her at the nurses’ station, keeping her company as she worked. When he wasn’t feeling well, he wanted to stay close.
They shared chicken salad and crackers, coffee from the café, and toasted blueberry muffins with strawberry cream cheese, some of his favorites. Brown knew to save him the pink Starburst candies, his favorite flavor.
“He was hilarious. He was my buddy,” Brown shared.
Samantha Killian, CNA/TMA/HUC, saw that side of him every day, too. James would often whistle to get her attention and kept up a steady stream of teasing. Nearly every week, she brought him Burger King. His order included a Whopper Jr., a bacon cheeseburger, mozzarella sticks with zesty and marinara sauces, and a chocolate shake. He never stopped trying to convince her to buy him full-size burgers.
“James was special to me because we just clicked. We would banter back and forth with each other. He would pick on me all the time and keep me on my toes,” Killian said.
James’s circle extended throughout the care center. Jaime Templin, RN, spent time with him during overnight shifts and received the same good-natured ribbing. Michelle Lundquist in the business office helped with his shopping and money, and James often settled outside her office when it was near the nurses’ station to keep her company. He changed staff members’ names, sometimes on purpose, and occasionally offered his own brand of “help” with their jobs.
The day before he passed away brought a memory staff would hold especially close. James didn’t often participate in resident activities, but that Monday afternoon, he joined the Cruise Week festivities. He went outside for the vintage car show, then quietly painted his wooden paddle boat (for a race later in the week) a bright yellow. At the Cruise Week carnival that Friday, Lundquist had the honor of racing James’s boat. His sister asked to have it for his funeral service.
The boat is one small reminder of how much life James shared with the people around him. There were favorite foods and pop, like pizza, wings, Kit Kats and a Coke, and conversations with staff who knew his routines by heart. There were his daily Bible readings. And there were moments when he needed comfort.
Brown recalled a recent morning when James rested his head on the nurse’s station, reached out his hand and told her, “Pam, I’m scared.” She held his hand and told him he could stay near her all day. And he did.
James loved his mother, siblings, nieces, nephews and extended family. At Lakewood, he found another family. The love went both ways.
The day after James passed away, Brown bought Tower pizza and wings for care center staff to share in his honor. They were two of his favorite foods, a fitting way for his friends to gather and remember him.
“People like James are the reason I got into healthcare at the care center,” Killian said. “I wanted to make a difference in their lives. I was drawn to the care center because this population needs people to be there for them when they need someone the most.”
Killian said she will miss James’s belly laughs and his whistle down the hall.
“James had a part of my heart,” she said, “and that spot will never be replaced.”
To learn more about James, his life and all who loved him, visit his obituary and funeral information: https://www.schullerfamilyfh.com/obituaries/james-lange-7/#!/Obituary
Above: The day before he passed away, James worked quietly on painting his paddle boat for the Cruise Week race to be held later in the week.
Top photo: A few small items James loved are displayed on the nurse's station where he would regularly sit next to Pam Brown, RN: a Coke, his wooden cross, his favorite candies Kit Kats and pink Starbursts, and a duck he won as part of Cruise Week festivities.