Commentary: Interfaith Council salutes the life, good deeds of Jim de Boom

We, the Newport-Mesa-Irvine Interfaith Council, mourn the death and celebrate the life of our former executive director, Jim de Boom.

For 25 years, Jim faithfully led our organization, a coalition of many faiths, to build bridges of tolerance, acceptance and mutual understanding here in our community.

Jim was committed not only to our organization but to many, demonstrating his real belief in community and how important it is for people to work together. Whether it was through the Rotary Club, or writing for the Daily Pilot, he truly believed in the importance of doing good in the community and making it a better place to live and work.

As part of his role with our Interfaith Council, he took countless numbers of people on Interfaith trips to China and elsewhere around the world, offering us an opportunity to learn about cultures and religions different, and yet often surprisingly similar, to our own. He visited dozens of places of worship in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Irvine, as our ambassador sharing our message of hope, peace and love within and between the world’s religions.

The Rev. Dr. Karen Stoyanoff, former pastor of Orange Coast Unitarian Church and now pastor at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Anaheim, worked with Jim for decades.

“It is hard to say goodbye to someone so special,” she said.

Farrah Khan, Jim’s successor as executive director of our Interfaith Council, professed that Jim had been her mentor.

“He was an all-around good person, the first person I met when I got involved with Interfaith work seven years ago,” Khan said. “He welcomed me in and helped me to meet other people, guiding me and mentoring me.”

He welcomed, mentored and guided many into interfaith work and relationships.

As a council, all of us agree that Jim was an incredibly committed individual, who gave much of himself to his community. We are grateful to carry on his legacy here in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Irvine to work hand in hand for greater understanding of religious diversity and commonality.

He will be dearly missed.

Blessings, Jim! Into the mystery, blessed by the many faiths of the world’s religions, we bid you our grateful farewell!