James Clifford Nall
July 17, 1981 ~ April 3, 2023
James Nall was born on summer day at the edge of the prairie to an Irish mother and a dad who was pure South Dakota, but more importantly, he was taken home to meet the two women who would boss him around for the next 41 years: his older sisters Terrie and Tracy, and they were delighted.
The three Nall kids roamed Rapid City, playing baseball, climbing trees, cliff jumping, swimming in Pactola Reservoir, fishing and riding in pontoon boats. If South Dakota offered it, these kids would do it. But aside from hanging out with his sisters, James also enjoyed tinkering with cars and electronics, and outdoors biking and skateboarding.
James began running cross country in junior high, and by the eighth grade he was already on the Central High School varsity team. In high school, he ran both track and cross-country. James loved to move his body, whether it was snowboarding, golfing, dancing or running.
In July of 2002 James moved to the Denver area; soon after sister Terrie followed, making Colorado their new home. Tracy moved to Denver after the passing of their mother in 2011, and the trio of Nalls were united again where they set out to play as hard in Denver as they had in Rapid City.
James made friends wherever he worked or went to school. He worked at the Texas Roadhouse in Old Town Arvada for many years. In 2010, James suffered an accident that left him an incomplete quadriplegic. While in full-time physical therapy at Craig Hospital for 6 -7 years, James also was completing his Bachelor of Accounting degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver. At Craig, he charmed everyone: fellow patients, but especially the staff he worked with each day. He refused to give up on himself, continuing to work toward mobility. That tenacity, accompanied by his love of shenanigans, propelled him forward. He also eventually earned his Master’s Degree of Accounting at Regis University.
He then worked as an accountant for Zayo Group, and most recently as a Senior Corporate Accountant at Newmont Corporation, while he was pursuing a second master’s degree in finance. From his work ethic to his humor, James was an inspiration. And let’s be clear, he was still one hell of a dancer and amateur DJ.
James was an unstoppable force. He was gregarious, the life of the party and one of the most generous human beings in the world — though we do wish he could have accepted help as easily as he offered it.
James always showed up. He would also give you the shirt off his back, but most importantly he always showed up. “I got you,” he’d say. “We’ll take care of it.” It was always “we.” You were never alone with James on your side.
To his sisters, James could be either a total joy or a pain, which James — like many younger brothers — delighted in being. Despite that, or maybe because of it, the Nall’s were a solid unit, three-deep. His passing is felt deeply and painfully by the two sisters who loved him fiercely from the moment he was born and Lulu, his beloved dog and constant companion. James will be missed but never forgotten by his family of Aunts, Uncles, cousins and friends.
James was preceded in death by his parents Thomas and Mary (Maureen) Nall and his grandparents, Geraldine and Clifford Nall of South Dakota and Bridget and Seamus Curran, of Ireland.
Memorials to honor James will be held in both Denver and Rapid City.
Please bring your stories about James to share.
Memorial Services
In Colorado:
Saturday, April 29, 2023
1:00 PM
Applewood Baptist Church
11200 W. 32nd Ave
Wheat Ridge, CO
In South Dakota
Saturday, June 3rd, 2023
3:00pm
445 Lounge
445 Mt Rushmore Rd
Rapid City, SD 57701
Donations
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Craig Hospital, or directly to the family to assist with memorial costs.
