James (Jimmy) Dee Wallis from Salt Lake City, UT left this mortal realm on his own terms on August 12th, 2025, at the age of 71. He was born on April 3, 1954 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Diane Winona Sorensen (Ottley) and Neal Ogden.

Upon his birth, James's mother and father annulled their marriage within weeks and James was later adopted by his step father Tom Wallis of whom James said was the only father-like figure he ever had. Tom would take James and his baby half-sister Roxanne, boating, water skiing and camping, which James loved. James and Tom built a soap box derby car in 1966 at the age of 12 and James won the Salt Lake City race championship, was featured in The Salt Lake Tribune newspaper and represented Utah in the national finals in Akron Ohio-the same race his stepfather had won in 1947 when he was also 12.

James spent most of his youth in Cottonwood Heights and the Wasatch Mountains, fishing the local streams, tubing the run-offs of the canyons and spending time with his buddies. He graduated from Brighton High School in 1972 and began a career in construction as a drywall installer, carpet layer, wood worker, electrician and developed a wide range of skills in the industry. James later married and had one son, London Wallis (deceased) and a stepson Dusty Eskleson.

He later moved his family to Las Vegas where he worked as pit boss in the casinos-a place that fed his love of numbers. After that marriage ended, James made his way to West Linn, Oregon where he worked as a locksmith and opened his own small business called Dea's Keys. He married again in Oregon, but that marriage shortly ended in divorce and he moved back to Salt Lake City where he worked as a Coke machine repairman and various other odd jobs.

Once, back home, his son London tragically passed away due to cancer. This sad period resulted in James getting into some trouble as a reaction to intense emotional and physical grief. James suffered from chronic pain that lead to substance abuse, demons he sadly fought most of his adult life. Despite it all, James was a good man with a really big caring heart but as he often and openly told his friends and neighbors, he "made some bad decisions" and he owned it.

James was a life-long Kansas City Chiefs fan, enjoyed fantasy football, was a meticulous craftsman, and enjoyed hobbies like making model cars, working on his 1966 Cougar and taking care of his beloved Pomeranian dog, Bubba. He was loved by his family, aunts, uncles, cousins and caring neighbors who put up a touching memorial at his childhood home where he spent his remaining years.

James was preceded in death by his son London Wallis, sister Roxanne Sundin, mother Diane Ottley, his father Neal Ogden and his dog Bubba. He is survived by his stepson Dusty Eskleson and his half-brother Kelly Wallis (Susan Hanney), and nephew Liam Wallis.

Per his wishes, there will be no ceremony or celebration of life for James. Instead, please consider making a donation in James' name to one of his favorite nonprofits, the Utah Humane Society https://donate.utahhumane.org/campaign/687674/donate?c_src=25SITEBUTTON . Or consider supporting the Other Side Academy https://www.theothersideacademy.com/ which is designed to assist convicts, substance abusers or the homeless. This school accepts men and women, both pre-and post-sentencing, who are ready to learn a new and better way to live.