James Christopher Jarvis

James (Jim) Christopher Jarvis, 69, of Murphysboro, Illinois passed away January 28, 2026. Born May 8, 1956 in Chicago and raised in a large family in the western suburbs, Jim had a sharp scientific mind and curious intellect. He worked a few years as an apprentice plumber in the Chicago area and then in Northern California but spent most of his adult life in Southern Illinois. He is best known as part-owner, and then sole proprietor of CycleTech, a motorcycle parts and repair shop that celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2025. Friends and customers often dropped into the shop to draw upon his encyclopedic knowledge of motorcycles or just to have a chat. Jim will also be remembered as a bass guitar player in many Carbondale-area bands including Carbondale Blues Review with Big Larry, The Suburban Housewives and Da Blooze with Tall Paul. He enjoyed making fireworks, riding motorcycles in rural Illinois and Indiana, listening to Chicago Cubs radio broadcasts and was a voracious reader.

He was a 1974 graduate of Bloomington High School North in Bloomington, IN; attended John A. Logan College and Southern Illinois University.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents Stanley Edward Jarvis and Dorothy Barbara Nowak Jarvis, his older brother Paul Edward Jarvis and niece Heather Johnsen Sanders. He is survived by sister Deborah Holliday of Corpus Christi TX (son Erik Johnsen); brother Lowell Jarvis of Boston MA (wife Debra and son Rory); sister-in-law Jayne Jarvis and nephew Andrew Jarvis of Chico CA; brother Neil Jarvis of Mooresville IN (wife Theresa); sister Christine Feaster of Mooresville IN (husband William); sister Stacy Jarvis of Sacramento CA; brother Gregory Jarvis of Mooresville IN; and brother Alexander Jarvis of Bloomington IN (daughter Izabella and son Marcellus); and JR Jarvis of Carbondale.

The Jarvis Family plans to host a musical celebration of this life at some future date.

Ministry of comfort was entrusted to Southern Cremation and Burial Services of Murphysboro, Illinois.