Thomas James "Jim" Best

Thomas James “Jim” Best, 66, of Boardman, OH, formerly of Lincoln Park, MI and West Freedom, Perry Twp., Clarion Co., went to be with the Lord Sunday evening, December 12, 2021 at Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown.

Thomas James was born in Butler on June 14, 1955.  He was the son of the late Donald Best and Irene Garis Haugh.

He was a 1975 graduate of Lincoln Park High School in Lincoln Park, MI.  In his earlier years he had attended the Nazarene Church.  Jim enjoyed reading, watching TV, hunting and fishing.  He was an avid Civil War and World War II history buff and enjoyed visiting Gettysburg.  He had been employed for more than 26 years as a millwright at Cooper-Bessemer in Grove City and later at Ellwood Engineered Casting in Hubbard, OH. 

He is survived by his wife, Laura D. Bunetta Best, whom he married in Hubbard on February 1, 2003.  Also surviving are three children, Shelby I. Wilson of Clarion, Thomas J. “Tommy” Best of Boardman, and Eric S. Best of Callensburg; two grandchildren, Jason L. Best and Angela L. Wilson, both of Clarion; a brother, William “Bill” Best and his wife, Marty, of Emlenton; three sisters, Laura A. Craig and her husband, Roger, of Perryville, Barbara Slater and her husband, Brian, of Parker, and Amy Felix and her husband, Tom, of Emlenton, as well as a number of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Ricky and John Haugh.

Friends will be received at the Hile Funeral Home Inc., 802 Grove St., St. Petersburg from 1-3 and 6–8 p.m. Wednesday.  A funeral service will be held from the funeral home at 11:00 a.m. Thursday with the Rev. Dan Myers, a retired Methodist pastor, officiating.  Interment will be in West Freedom Cemetery.  Memorial contributions may be made to The Salvation Army at www.salvationarmy.org or to the American Red Cross at redcross.org.  Condolences may be sent by visiting www.hilefh.com.

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