James Leonard Everett, 71 peacefully passed away on Monday, February 26, 2024, at St Vincent’s Healthcare in Billings, Montana with family by his side.

James Leonard Everett was born July 2, 1952, in Bellevue, Nebraska to Leonard Everett and Marion Jacobson. Jim spent most of his childhood in Albert Lea, attending school until the age of 16 when Jim dropped out so he could work and help support his family.

Following a stint in the National Guard, Jim met and married Kathleen Eve Johnson. Jim and Kathy went on to have four children together: Leonard (1975), Jamie (1976), Jace (1979), and Ashley (1985). Jim spent most of his adult life working in the trucking industry, later transitioning into his role as a mechanic. During this time, Jim and his family lived in various states as the Everett family followed the work. They landed in their final home in Sidney, Montana in 1992. Jim and Kathy later divorced in 1996, remaining friends until the time of his passing.

In 1997, Jim moved to Minnesota to be closer to his father Leonard, where he bought his own truck and began driving cross country. While in Minnesota, Jamie, Jenn, and Ashley lived with Jim while Ashley attended school and Jamie worked. This included a time where Jamie and Jim worked side by side at McNeilus Steel. Jim then moved back to Sidney in 2006 to be closer to his kids. Jim continued to drive truck, ending his career as a mechanic. Unfortunately, Jim was forced into early retirement at the age of 64 due to kidney failure.

In his free time, Jim enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his kids (and later, grandkids), fishing, and spending countless hours filling out sweepstakes hoping to win his family a fortune. Jim will always be remembered for his contagious laugh and his gift to gab. He wasn’t much for group settings but if he got you one on one, you were going to hear every story in memory - some again and again. Jim will be remembered by his family and close friends as a man that didn’t have much but would give everything he owned to make someone else’s life easier.

Jim is survived by his sons Jamie (Jennifer) Everett of Dickinson, North Dakota and Jace Everett of Sidney, Montana; daughter Ashley Everett of Sidney, Montana; grandchildren Kaden, Candace, Paityne, Alse, Mya, Addison, Nova, Bex, and Mason; great-grandson Bohen; sisters Beverly Rachelle of Laramie, Wyoming and Mary Castor of Lebanon, Missouri; and brother Danny Everett of Oklahoma.

Jim was preceded in death by his son Leonard Everett, father Leonard Everett, mother Marion Landsdown, brother Jay Everett, sisters Betty Lynn Morningstar and Patty Walters, and niece Erin Setright.