The 88-year-old lost his battle with pulmonary fibrosis on January 15 with his loving family by his side.

Jim was best known as the founder of Jim Pearson Transport with a love of trucks dating back to his teenage years.

An apprenticeship with AWA in Sydney was Jim's first job after his school years at Farrer Memorial Agricultural School.

When the section Jim was employed in closed, he moved to the Rock near Wagga Wagga to join his parents.

He worked for a stock and station agent and acquired his truck and car licence by driving his old car to the butchers to buy sausages for the local sergeant's dinner.

Jim later secured a job on the Snowy Mountains Scheme and worked there for two years before taking up a position at Wagga Motors.

He flew with Ansett to Sydney and Melbourne with pockets full of cash to buy cars and drive them back to Wagga.

Jim then bought a Caltex Service Station at Marks Point which he turned into a 24-hour service centre.

It became a popular place with the transport community.

Jim bought his own trucks and carted steel for Commonwealth Steel in Newcastle and concrete steel pipes for Humes out of Sydney and Hexham.

Jim met his wife Marette Gordon in 1956 and they married in 1957.

They celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary in January 2021.

The couple had three children - Luise, young Jim and Melaine - while in Belmont.

After he sold the transport companies, Lake Macquarie Freighters and Macquarie Freighters, he bought a sheep and cattle property at Werris Creek.

The family grew to include another daughter Belinda.

Jim sold the farm and bought a livestock transport business in Cootamundra.

The family loved Cootamundra and spent five good years there.

Jim's parents had retired in Port Macquarie, so in 1973, the family moved to Port Macquarie where he became a real estate agent working for Jim Boardman.

Demand wasn't great at that time so Jim bought more trucks carting coal in Newcastle and later brought grain across the mountain from Werris Creek to Wauchope.

The purchase of a couple of trucks from Bob Walker marked the start of Jim Pearson Transport in Port Macquarie.

Jim and his son Jim Junior worked together building the business until Jim Senior retired in 2002.

Today Jim Pearson Transport employs more than 350 people and has a fleet of more than 200 prime movers and more than 380 B-double trailers.

The business is recognised as a leader in the industry.

Jim became a councillor in 1999 and was deputy mayor to Wayne Richards during his term on council.

By 2008, Jim had sold his shares in the business and converted an old school bus into a motor home named Renaissance.

Many great trips were had in the bus.

Jim and Marette also loved overseas travel and drove around England, Ireland, Wales, the USA and Europe making very good friends along the way.

When they were not travelling, Jim and Marette visited their children, grandchildren and other family members.

Jim was always keenly interested in the company he founded and was very proud of Jim Junior's achievements.

Restoring old cars kept Jim very busy and he was constantly in the Port Macquarie depot chatting to drivers and staff.

Jim was always interested in people, would easily strike a conversation and was often seen having his morning coffee at Casualties.

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