Obituary of James Devin Means

JAMES "DEVIN"MEANS WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 27,1980 TO THE PARENTS OF JAMES (JIMMY) MEANS JR.AND KAREN MEANS IN WASHINGTON, DC. HE WAS THE ELDEST OF THEIR TWO SONS.AFTER HIS BIRTH, DEVIN AS HE WAS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED, LIVED IN MANY PLACES DUE TO HIS FATHER'S LENGTHY MILITARY CAREER IN THE U.S.AIR FORCE.HE LIVED IN CANADA, GREECE, CALIFORNIA, MONTANA AND FINALLY MOVED TO OUR BEAUTIFUL STATE OF COLORADO. DEVIN WAS A QUICK LEARNER AND EVEN LEARNED HOW TO SPEAK FRENCH BEFORE ENGLISH. HE WAS VERY PROUD TO BE A "BIG BROTHER" WHEN HIS LITTLE BROTHER, DAVID WAS BORN.EVEN THOUGH HE WAS 12 YEARS OLDER, DEVIN AND DAVID ALWAYS SHARED AND MAINTAINED A CLOSE BROTHERLY BOND. DEVIN ACCEPTED CHRIST AT AN EARLY AGE AND WAS BAPTIZED AT RISING STAR MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH BY THE LATE REV.DR. JULES E. SMITH. WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, HE EVEN SANG IN THE RISING STAR YOUTH CHOIR AND WAS KNOWN BY MANY WITHIN THE CHURCH FAMILY. HE WAS A GRADUATE OF EAST HIGH SCHOOL. ONE OF DEVIN'S FAVORITE MOTTOS WAS LOVE LIFE, LIVE LIFE AND HE DEFINITELY TRIED TO LIVE IT TO ITS'FULLEST.HE LOVED TO SMILE, LAUGH, DANCE AND BRING JOY AND LAUGHTER TO OTHERS. HE HAD A PASSION TO HAVE A GOOD TIME THAT WAS INFECTIOUS TO THOSE AROUND HIM. IN HIS FREE TIME DEVIN ENJOYED WATCHING NUMEROUS SPORTS AND ATTENDED VARIOUS GAMES WHENEVER HE COULD.HE ESPECIALLY LOVED WATCHING MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL AND TEASING HIS DAD WHENEVER THEY WON AGAINST OHIO STATE. DEVIN SPENT YEARS WORKING AS A CHEF, AND OTHER SERVICE INDUSTRY POSITIONS, MAKING MANY FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HE WORKED. HE WAS AN AWESOME CHEF WHO NOT ONLY ENJOYED COOKING AND DISPLAYING HIS FOOD BUT ENJOYED EATING HIS TASTY DISHES AS WELL. DEVIN ALSO ENJOYED CAMPING OUT WITH HIS FRIENDS. HE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH WHATEVER WAS NEEDED IF HE COULD. HIS LOVE, KINDNESS AND CARING FOR OTHERS, AS WELL AS HIS BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT, WILL BE TRULY MISSED BY HIS FAMILY, HIS MANY FRIENDS AND ANYONE WHO HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO MEET HIM. THOSE LEFT TO CHERISH HIS MEMORY INCLUDE HIS FATHER, JAMES(JIMMY)MEANS JR.AND STEPMOTHER, MARY STRONG MEANS, BOTH OF AURORA, CO; MOTHER, KAREN MEANS OF CASSOPOLIS, MI, HIS BROTHER, DAVID E. MEANS OF DENVER, CO; TWO STEPBROTHERS, CLARENCE STRONG (CARMELITA) OF AURORA, CO, BRANDON STRONG OF LAS VEGAS, NV; 2 NIECES THAT HE ADORED, (ALLYSON MEANS AND SHAYLA LEWIS (STRONG), AND A HOST OF UNCLES, AUNTS, COUSINS AND MANY, MANY CLOSE FRIENDS.