Dr. James "Jim" V. Shanni, MD

Dr. James (Jim) V. Shanni, MD, 58, of Watkinsville, GA, passed away on July 25.

Jim was born on April 26, 1965, in Jersey City, NJ, and graduated from Crestwood High School in Roswell, GA. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Georgia State University and then received his Doctor of Medicine from the Medical College of Georgia in 2000. As a practicing Emergency Medicine physician for 23 years, it’s hard to estimate how many lives Jim saved or people that he helped heal. But it’s clear that he did his best and most important work at home as a loving husband and father to his wife of 25 years and their three amazing children. He was dedicated to his family, his faith, and his fitness.

His interests were many, but he loved riding his bicycle most of all and it was something he did almost daily. As a cyclist, he participated in hundreds of long-distance rides. He rode in races from the Florida Keys to Paris-Brest and everywhere in between. He loved going shooting with his sons, walking the family’s dog Killian, and had started a new hobby of riding motorcycles.

Jim could fix or install anything, research a topic tirelessly, and was powered by coffee and his daily bowl of oatmeal. No dessert could be too chocolatey for Jim, and he was more disciplined than most, whether it was standing for his principles or sticking to that daily oatmeal. Now he has a kitchen pass that will never expire.

Jim leaves behind the love of his life and his wife of 25 years, Julie, and their three incredible children, James Patrick (J.P.), 21; Nicholas, 19; and Jenna, 16. He also leaves his mother, Evelyn Shanni; his two sisters Pamela (John Cummings) and Alison (Matthew James); nieces Avery, Josephine and Isabelle; nephews Jake, Owen, Samuel, and Luke.

Jim was predeceased by his father, James J. Shanni, and his dog Mozart.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Catholic Center at the University of Georgia, ccatuga.org .

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, August 4, at the University of Georgia Catholic Center at 11:00am. Interment will follow at Oconee Memorial Park in Watkinsville, GA. The family will receive friends at Lord & Stephens at 1211 Jimmy Daniel Rd, Watkinsville, GA 30677 on Thursday, August 3, from 6:00 – 8:00pm with a Rosary beginning at 7:30pm.