Jim Watson-Gove died in the wee hours of Monday, October 4, 2021. My beloved is gone, but left me with the poetry/memories and the color/abstract paintings of our life together. Wish him well. Lewy Body Dementia was not a fun disease for him. I did not love Jim perfectly, but I loved him loudly and abundantly!” (Remarks from Eleanor Watson-Gove on Facebook)
Jim was born in Los Angeles in 1933. He was the middle child (only son) of James Gove and Ruth Wells. He attended Los Angeles public schools, and upon graduation in 1951, joined the United States Air Force. After two years in the service, Jim found employment with AT&T, GTE Sprint, and Sprint Communications, where as a telephone engineer he had a long-time career that garnered him financial success and a highly valued skill set.
In addition to expertly fulfilling the linear “left brain” aspects of his work as an engineer, Jim had in his repertoire of talents writing poetry. In 1965, he found homes in several publications for many of his poems, and also went on to edit and publish the work of other poets in his various magazines: Showcase, Lemming, and Minotaur.
A true lover of artistic expression, Jim welcomed the university educated poet, as well as the unknown, often invisible street poet to participate in his venues. He maintained a correspondence with the well-known poet and filmmaker James Broughton throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s. During the 1980s, Jim developed a strong and mutually respectful friendship with one of Alaska’s Poet Laureates, Joanne Townsend, who was a faithful poet in his magazines. Jim’s poetry is archived in several university collections, among them Brown University.
Jim retired in 2002, and moved to the Pacific Northwest with his wife, Eleanor. He soon found camaraderie with other artistic souls like himself — one of whom, Bill McMasters, owner of Lehani’s in Port Townsend — expressed great enthusiasm about the prospect of poetry readings at his cafe. Thus came about the celebrated Friday night series, which continued as a much appreciated and well-attended venue until 2008. Jim also founded the Northwest Arts Poetry Series, whose focus initially was to celebrate local poets. His successors now invite poets from Seattle and beyond, while continuing to include — as part of Jim’s legacy to give voice to important but lesser known writers — the Olympic Peninsula’s treasure trove of local talent.
Jim also enjoyed great satisfaction in abstract painting. Like his mentor, Richard Allen Morris, who interestingly was also born in 1933, Jim was a self-educated artist whose inspirations in large part derived from the work of Hans Hoffman, Jackson Pollock and Judy Chicago.
Jim referred to himself as an “Accidentalist Painter” — a term first bandied about in the art world among such artists as David Alfaro Siqueiros who discovered his “accidental painting” technique in the 1930s. Jim identified with the simplicity of the process of pouring different color paints onto a canvas or panel, or painting with paper towels instead of a brush, allowing the different colors to spread, coalesce, and infiltrate one another. Jim found it pleasurably thrilling to allow the painting to have control of itself — as though it represented a personal fulfillment of “letting go,” and bowing to the greater power of the universe.
A member of the Sequim Arts League, the Port Ludlow Arts League, Jim became the possessor of Membership Card No. 001 at the infant Northwind Arts Gallery in 2003. While in the passionate pursuit of his life as a poet and painter, Jim rounded out his very full life by volunteering as treasurer for several local organizations. Like the collectors in Washington and California who are privileged to gaze upon Jim’s artwork every day, the proponents of those local organizations will no doubt retain in their mind’s eye the enlightened extent of Jim’s high level of commitment and dedication.
With his passing, Jim not only leaves a valuable legacy in the arts, but also a progeny of familial wealth. Though predeceased by two sisters, he is survived by his beloved wife, Eleanor; his daughter, Pamela Butler-Gove; son-in-law, Steve Butler; his granddaughter; Hillary Perez, and three great-grandchildren, Zoe, Itzabella, and Gabriel Perez. His son Glenn Gove died, leaving Jim two grandsons, James and Adrian, and one great-grandson, Malakai. Also surviving Jim are step-sons, Robert and Edward Pickering; Robert’s wife, Nita; grandson Zechariah; granddaughter Sarah; Edward’s wife, Funke; and their three children, Sade, Ayo, and Akin.
