James Thomas (Jim) Cahill

Jim Cahill, 69, was surrounded by his loving family as he succumbed to a courageous, decade long battle with cancer. Jim was born January 17, 1951 in La Crosse, Wisconsin to James and Betty Cahill. He was raised in La Crosse and never lost the genuine kindness he gained from his Wisconsin roots. He received a scholarship to play basketball at Brown University and graduated in 1973. He received his Master’s in Enology and Viticulture from UC Davis in 1979. He worked his entire almost 40-year career in the wine business, where he was very well respected for his honesty and caring nature. The relationships he maintained after retiring spoke volumes regarding his character, kindness and selflessness observed and admired by those who worked under and with him. His greatest joy in life was his family. He loved attending all his children’s sporting events and extracurricular activities. He especially enjoyed coaching all three of his children when they played youth basketball. He was so proud to watch each of them graduate from college. Jim was a life-long learner, a voracious reader and amateur financial advisor. He often could be found emailing his children and extended family articles on topics spanning from politics to which stocks were good buys. He showed his love by growing a bountiful vegetable garden each year and sending all who visited off with at least one tomato plant. His favorite room in the house was the kitchen, spending as much of his time there as he could. He was dubbed the “Chefasaurus” by his family. His gourmet meals will be missed, but nowhere near as much as him. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Betty Cahill. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Ann Cahill; his children: Gavin, Haley and MacKenzie Cahill; his brother Michael (Judy) Cahill; adored Aunt Mary-Alice Kerrigan (Scott Davis); brother/sister-in-laws: Michael/Katie Wright, Dan/Peggy Mayer, Eric/Maureen Linde, and Mark/Eileen Davis; many nieces and nephews, and many wonderful friends. A special thank you to Dr. Kristen Ganjoo, who cared for him with compassion for the last five years.

Jim was also a dedicated supporter of Committee of the Shelterless (COTS) in Petaluma, donating at least twice annually to support their organization and mission. In lieu of flowers, please donate on behalf of James to either COTS of Petaluma, COTS PO Box 2744, Petaluma, CA 94952 or Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford Medical Center Development, 485 Broadway, 4th Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063, where he received the highest standard of care. A Celebration of Life is currently being planned and is anticipated to occur in January 2021. An announcement will be made closer to that time with the necessary logistics.