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Mr. James "Jimbo" Yongue
Home:
415 Ogden St.
Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
Work:
Home Phone: 337-332-2827
Work Phone: --
Fax: --
Email: jamesyongue@yahoo.com
Jimmy was recently inducted into the World Acrobatic Society as a “Legend.”
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Submitted by Leigh Hennessy Robson on June 15, 2021.
When my parents, Jeff and Ruth Hennessy, moved to Lafayette in 1959 with their two babies, they were young and full of hope. Dad just got an exciting new job at the university teaching in the Physical Education Department at UL Lafayette that also offered him the opportunity to develop a trampoline program – one of the first of it’s kind in the country. He started by teaching local kids. One of his first shining stars was a little Cajun boy from Breaux Bridge. Jimmy Yongue was a rare talent who caught on quickly and rose to national dominance, traveling with the USA Trampoline Team around the world winning medals, life experiences and friends.
To Mom and Dad, he was a son. To Kay, Jeff and I, he was a brother. To his teammates, he was a special friend. But, his road to success was filled with both great joy and utter tragedy. At age 19, or about, a bullet grazed his skull in an horrific accident that caused brain injury. Resilient, he was the only human on the planet who could have endured such trauma and rebound. But that he did, making it all the way to the World Trampoline Championships after his recovery. In subsequent years, he suffered more trauma including two, maybe three, serious car accidents that left him paralized. Yet again, he recovered.
However, as of noon last Friday, his small body gave out and he left this earth free of pain.
Jimmy was a unique soul. Everyone he met loved him. He was funny, happy and caring. Always surrounded by friends and family, he was the life of the party and nabbed the prettiest girls. When he became a coach, he could reach the smallest child and the greatest champions, getting them to perform skills and routines beyond their imagination.
It’s hard to believe a guy with nine lives has gone through them all. I wish he had nine more. Sending condolences to Jimmy’s dear friends, siblings, son and wife, Pie. You are loved, Jimmy.
