James Edward Holcombe

James “Jim” Edward Holcombe, 56, a lifetime resident of Colorado Springs, CO, passed away on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 9:25 pm. Jim, lovingly known by many as “Jimmy,” was born on December 10, 1969, in Colorado Springs, CO, to John Wayne Holcombe, Sr. and his beloved mother, Betty Shaw. 

He attended Manitou Springs High School, volunteered as a youth football coach for Parks & Recreation of Colorado Springs, and served many years in food and hospitality management at various locations throughout the city. However, Jim didn’t define himself based on his career, education, or accolades; rather, his legacy is rooted in the family and friends he loved so much and the world he undoubtedly left a mark on. 

There isn’t a park’s pavement or mountain’s trail that his Nikes haven’t traipsed, nor is there a single Colorado Springs landmark – past or present – that isn’t saturated with his memory. From the sunrise of his youth to the sunset of his untimely death, Jim’s story was one for the ages. 

It’s a story of drumsticks and guitar picks caught at rock n’ roll shows with his good friend Chris, of the days perfecting the art of “high pours” with his brother John at The Hungry Farmer, of lazy Sundays playing video games and watching pro football, and of nights spent laughing over drinks at Meadow Muffins. 

But it’s also a story of cheering on the Nuggets with his best friend Amanda at Benny’s, Willie’s or any other local dive they could find, of celebrating eight years of sobriety, of singing his heart out to everything from Iron Maiden to Mariah Carey, and of bonding with his nephews over $2.99 all-you-can-eat biscuits and gravy at Milt’s Coffee Shop. 

To know Jim’s story is to know what it means to truly live where you’ve landed. Yet, in the short years before and after his diagnosis, despite all the treatments and doctor’s visits, Jim spent two years going on whirlwind adventures and making new memories with his only son — driving Ferraris, traveling to Georgia often to visit family, parasailing over the Gulf of Mexico, and road-tripping to Austin for the F1 race. 

Jim is survived by his son Zachery Holcombe, along with brothers William “Bill” Holcombe and Sean Holcombe, sister Michelle Saum, nieces Jordan Weddle, Kourtney Holcombe, and Emily Flitsch; nephews Craig Holcombe, Gregorie Holcombe, Jake Maxey, Mason Saum, and Brandon Saum; his great niece Maya Dominguez; and his great nephews Mateo Dominguez and Logan Holcombe. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Wayne Holcombe, Sr. and Betty Shaw, and his big brother John Wayne Holcombe, Jr. – whose love and lasting influence anchored Jim until the end. 

As he took his last breath, his lifelong friends Ed, Tracy, and Mike were by his side, and it was the voices of his son Zachery and his great-nephew Logan that helped guide him into the heavenly arms of his brother John and his mother Betty. 

After the funeral team pulled out of the driveway and onto Gunnison Street, where Jim had spent the last 30 years, they blared Iron Maiden from the van’s speakers in his honor. It’s said that people both far and wide could still hear it from miles away. It’s the same way Jim’s indelible impact can still be felt — in a rock song and a winning shot, in the soil on Cutler’s trail and the sun on Crystal Reservoir, in his son’s smile and his nephew’s dreams, in backyard barbecues and rooftop fireworks, but especially in all the lives he leaves behind. 

Jim Holcombe’s celebration of life will be held at 6 pm on Monday, August 17, 2026, at Stir Coffee & Cocktails – 2330 N Wahsatch Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80907. Attire is casual and, at the family’s behest, all in attendance are encouraged to wear either their favorite Colorado team jersey or concert t-shirt. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation to help fund local youth sports and/or the American Cancer Society’s Prostate Cancer Foundation to help fund prostate cancer research and early cancer screenings.