The ‘always upbeat’ father, husband and friend died from COVID-19 while incarcerated
James Hargrave, 70
Died Jan. 20, 2021
Two Rivers Correctional Institution
Release date: Life, no parole date set
Most people in the Bend area knew James “Jim” Hargrave as a man who went to prison following a tragic, fatal encounter with one of his sons.
But to his family and friends, Hargrave was a loving father and husband who would step on his own toes to help others.
“He loved me, my brother and my mom like no other,” said Kenny Hargrave, his son. “He did everything in his power for us and extended family.”
That extended family would often expand when Hargrave offered support to folks who were down on their luck.
“Dad’s worked with people that didn’t have a home or a job,” Kenny said. “You get them a job, and then give them a place to stay to get them back on their feet. And you know, they’d screw him over but he would still try.”
“We’ve always laughed about how he would go to strangers and have his truck worked on instead of going to someone professional,” said Pamela Hargrave, his wife. “Then he would get ripped off, but he didn’t care — he was helping somebody.”
“He’d take his last two bucks and give it to a kid, or he’d take some of our stuff and give it to somebody else. It’s just the way he was.”
Medical issues were a constant part of Hargrave’s life. He suffered a stroke in 1999 and underwent dialysis treatment three times a week. He also had diabetes.
The last 10 years of Hargrave’s life were spent in jail and prison, and the death of his son Steven shook the family to the core. But they’ve remained together through it all.
When Deschutes County Circuit Judge Wells Ashby declined to set bail for Hargrave during his trial, Kenny and Pamela spoke with him on the phone every day and visited him in jail on Sundays.
According to Kenny, his dad would ask him to take newly released prisoners out for a sandwich, or help them find a place to stay.
“He was very adamant about calling us two or three times a day,” Pamela said.
“Jim was always upbeat, joking with people,” said Aaron Eaton, Hargrave’s cellmate at Two Rivers Correctional Institution. “Staff liked him, the nurses liked, everybody at (the dialysis facility) liked him.”
Even when the carceral state exerted its power over his life, Hargrave found a way to maintain his sense of humor.
Pamela recalled joking with him about one instance where Hargrave was throwing a piece of candy at another inmate and accidentally hit a guard. “The guard made a report that Jim threw something at him — which was, you know, just a ridiculous thing,” she said. “Silly things like that happen all the time.”
Hargrave’s long record of good behavior earned him access to incentive housing, where he was able to cultivate his interest in drawing and watch football on TV.
Because of Hargrave’s partial paralysis and other medical issues, Eaton was assigned to help him with some basic tasks. Failing kidneys and partial paralysis didn’t stop Hargrave’s big heart, Eaton said.
“He took care of me when I was sick with a toothache. It was bad, I couldn’t even get out of bed.
“Jim would get up and give me water and stuff,” Eaton continued, “that’s the type of person he was.”
Hargrave’s life was cut short on Jan. 20 when he became one of the 42 state prisoners who have died of COVID-19 while incarcerated.
“We really still haven’t really figured out what the hell was going on,” Pamela said.
After a fall in the shower, Hargrave was eventually sent to the hospital, where he tested positive for COVID-19.
“Could you imagine breaking your hip and having to lay in a diaper for two to three days,” asked Kenny. “Not knowing if you’re going to go to the hospital — or even get to see your family again?”
Prison security protocols mean that families are generally not notified when a prisoner is transferred to a hospital for medical treatment. Doctors took it upon themselves to find the family and reach out.
By then, Hargrave was already in a coma and hooked up to a respirator.
Kenny explained that because of concerns about COVID-19, the family was only allowed to see Hargrave once they agreed to end his life.
“I rubbed his feet and everything and couldn’t get a reaction out of him whatsoever,” Pamela said.
Pamela and Kenny don’t want Hargrave’s relationship with the criminal justice system to define his life. But they feel that it’s ultimately responsible for his death.
“A lot of people didn’t know dad,” Kenny said. “And that’s what sucks about him being stolen — Earth lost a good guy.”
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