James-A Karlson Spalvins

MARYVILLE - Take a moment to remember James-Aleksander Karlson Spalvins (a.k.a. James-A to his friends & family) who passed into his next adventure on Monday, May 6, 2024, at his home in Maryville, Tennessee. James was the youngest of five children from parents K. Karl and Margaret Drew Spalvins, born on December 17, 1981, in Knoxville, TN. Soon after his arrival, the family moved to South Knox County, where he and his siblings engaged in numerous adventures, Boy Scouts, and Junior ROTC at South-Doyle High. James enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2003, was active duty until 2007, and served in the Army Reserve. He was deployed to Iraq as an Intelligence Analyst. James continued to serve his country as a contractor and traveled the world, visiting 28 countries over the course of 4 years. Eventually, James moved back to East TN to be closer to his parents, moving in with them to be of service at home. He earned an Associate’s Degree in Geology from Pellissippi State Technical Community College and turned a passion for aquaculture and aquaponics into a career. James loved to share his knowledge at work and through seminars and outreach at local schools. What will be missed most are his quick wit and fearless sense of humor, for James was blessed with the ability to turn even the most innocuous phrase into a laugh for others. His smile featured a trademark gap in his front teeth, which he bragged was big enough to get a nickel through. He had a passion for cooking, gardening, aquaponics, friends & family, and sitting on the porch whiling away the day. In accordance with his wishes, James was cremated and his ashes will be laid to rest at the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery at 2200 E John Sevier Highway, Knoxville, TN on June 18, at 2 pm. The celebration of life follows immediately at the home of Paul & Honey Spalvins at 4 pm (if you don’t know, we ain’t gonna tell you). James was preceded in death by his parents, K. Karl & Drew. James is survived by his siblings; Liza Briscoe (Tom), Erik Spalvins (Sarah), Paul Spalvins (Honey), and Tali Spalvins (Ruth); his nephews, Sander, Garrett, Karter, Ellis, and Alexis; and his niece, Mara. Also grieving are his many friends, cousins, aunts, uncles, and his ever-faithful dog, Molly.

In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you pour out a drink of something needlessly expensive or make a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project. If that doesn’t seem like enough, you could also adopt a dog that belonged to your mother and give it the best home it could hope for.