James Paul “Dad” Gaume, age 83, passed away peacefully at his home in Basehor, KS, on May 13th 2026.
Services will be held at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Basehor, KS.
Monday 5/18 – Visitation at 6pm-8pm. Rosary at 7:30pm.
Tuesday 5/19 – Funeral Mass at 11am. Luncheon to follow.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital or to Holy Angels Catholic Church.
Born and raised in Kansas City, KS. Jim lived a life centered around family, friendship, hard work, and the simple joys he loved most. He spent 13 years as a barber at Jay’s Barbershop in Argentine, Kansas where he built lasting friendships and became well known throughout the community. He later worked for Procter & Gamble and subsequently Colgate-Palmolive until his retirement.
Retirement suited Jim well. He could most often be found enjoying endless rounds of golf at Sunflower Hills Golf Course, a place he truly loved. Jim was busy in his retirement, as he helped care for Lisa during her battle with leukemia and raised his grandson Dalton as if he was his dad. He also was diagnosed with Lupus during this time which ended his golfing days, but not his love for the game and as luck would have it, he was blessed with a granddaughter, India, who became the next “great golfer” in the Gaume family. He loved taking her to her many golf tournaments over the years and beamed with pride at every one of her wins and accomplishments. His granddaughter Grace brought him so much joy as she always made him laugh with her quick wit and dry, no-nonsense humor and he loved watching her on KSNT news as a reporter and weekend anchor. His only great grandchild, Jack, has been the bright spot since he was born. He waited anxiously every night to see new pictures of Jack, seeing that baby just made his day.
His grandchildren brought him some of his greatest happiness in his later years, and nothing meant more to him than watching them grow, laugh, and succeed. The love and pride he had for them was evident to everyone who knew him.
When he was not on the golf course, Jim enjoyed meticulously cutting his grass and making his nightly trip to “work” at the local bar, where his humor, stories, and companionship became part of the daily routine for many friends.
Jim’s golf buddies affectionately called him “Dad” due to the fact that he always had extra golf tees and plenty of advice whether they wanted it or not. That name stuck with him throughout his life, even off the golf course. He had a gift for making people feel welcome and cared for, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who knew him.
He is survived by his loving wife, Judy; his son Michael Gaume, MD (Tessa); his daughter, Lisa Gaume Fisher (Jeff); his grandchildren Jack Dalton Jones (Maddie), India Gaume, Grace Gaume; and his great grandson, Jack Michael Jones. As well as his last living sibling Tom Gaume (Kathy); and his grand-pets Amber, Aggie, and Ollie.
He was proceeded in death by his parents, Loyola and William Gaume; his sister Marian; his brothers, Kenny and Roger; and his other beloved pets Fluffy, Jenny, Coco, and Daisy.
We would also like to thank Dr. John May, Dr. Steven Owens, and Dr. Brian Milligan for all of their time and extra attention they gave him. He wouldn’t have lived this long without you and your teamwork.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to his younger brother Tommy, for the love, support, and help he provided over the last several years and a very special thank you to Tracy Duma Wagner who was like a second daughter to Jim for her endless kindness and care for countless years.
Jim will be remembered for his love of family, his devotion to golf, his strong work ethic, and countless friendships he made throughout his life.