James "Jim" Gabettas

James "Jim" Gabettas, 86, of Idaho Falls, died April 12, 2020, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center after a brief illness.

Jim was born July 30, 1933, in Brigham City, Utah, to James and Stella Gabettas. His dad immigrated from Greece and his mother from Denmark.  He spent the summers of his young life herding sheep with his mom and dad in the upper Blackfoot River drainage.

A 1951 graduate of Pocatello High School, Jim attended Utah State University, earning a bachelor's degree in wildlife management. He met and married elementary education and music major Marilynn Kammerath, of Montpelier.

After graduation, the two moved to Shoshone, Idaho, where Jim took a job with the Bureau of Land Management. In 1963, the couple and their young family moved to Burley where Jim served as chief of resource program management for the BLM Burley District.  He was applauded for his ability to manage national initiatives at the local level—including the Johnny Horizon anti-littering campaign—which earned him an outstanding service award from the BLM's state office.

In 1971, Jim was promoted to assistant district manager of the BLM Boise District. Twelve years later, the family moved to Idaho Falls where Jim served as assistant district manager of the BLM district office until his retirement in 1986.

Jim first waded into the fly fishing business in 1979 when his son, Jimmy, opened their first fly shop in Pocatello.  A few months after retirement from the BLM, Jim opened Jimmy's All Seasons Angler in downtown Idaho Falls. He loved going to work every day, sharing his love of Idaho's mountains and streams with his friends, customers, and his favorite fishing buddy—son Jimmy.

Jim is survived by his son, Jimmy (Milli) Gabettas of Idaho Falls; daughter, Jennifer Jackson (Bill) of Pocatello; daughter, Chris Gabettas (Robb Powell) of Boise; three grandchildren, Amy Kramer (Brian), Ainsley Jackson, of Pocatello; Andy Chorn (Asher) of Boise; and great-grandson Karsten Kramer, of Pocatello; brother-in-law, Doug Kammerath, of Seattle, and his children, Shaun and Diane.

Jim was preceded in death by wife, Marilynn; daughter, Laura; sons-in-law, Pat Chorn and Dennie Gough; and sister-in-law, Fran Kammerath.

The family is grateful to the incredible team of health care providers who've cared for Jim in recent years, including Dr. Gene Hodges and his staff, the CloudNine Home Health Agency and the wonderful Mary Ledezma, who managed Jim's daily household and home-health needs.

A private service is pending. Friends can honor Jim's memory by donating to the Idaho Falls Community Food Basket, Snake River Animal Shelter… or simply by thinking of him the next time you tie a fly or cast a line.