Jim had died peacefully at Alkira Nursing Home in the early hours of Christmas Eve, aged 89 years.

Jim - formally known as Kenneth James Nesbitt - was a well known sign craftsman who had only recently retired after 70 years of work in Taree.

He established his own business in 1953 after completing his apprenticeship with another local signwriter Frank Shaw.

Jim's handcrafted sign shop in Stevenson Street, Taree, was the base for his work where he hand-painted signage and decoration on buses, trucks, boats and motorbikes as well as individually made signage for local businesses.

One particular skill of Jim's has been making and signwriting honour boards in gold leaf for many service and sporting clubs in the Manning area.

Jim's work was also apparent on road signs around the local area - especially pictorials - and business frontages in the main street area.

At Christmas time each year, Jim would also create individual pictorials and written words to decorate local shop fronts as well as cut out timber shapes and paint images of Christmas scenes for businesses and churches.

Over the years, Jim was also very proud of several awards received for his historical designs, scrolls, lines and artwork on bakers' carts and restored vehicles.

Jim shared his skills by teaching showcard and ticket writing at Taree Technical College.

In later years, Jim moved his home and workshop to Kolodong.

He enjoyed his golf and tennis over the years and was a long time member of the Taree Baptist Church.

Jimmy is dearly missed by his wife Joyce, children Jane, Penny and Chris and their families, as well as his brothers Keith and Peter and sister Betty.