Jim Moorhead, 84, of St. Petersburg, died Nov. 23, 2020, at Bon Secours Maria Manor. A native Floridian, he grew up in small-town Ocala, swimming at Silver Springs, performing in school plays and always hamming it up as a class clown. He attended the University of Florida, where he joined the staff of the Florida Alligator and fell headlong in love with the Gators, with journalism and with another staffer named Sharon Kelley. They married in 1967 and moved to St. Petersburg, where he was a longtime columnist and entertainment writer for the former Evening Independent. His columns chronicled the bookends of family life — the birth of both his daughters, the death of his beloved father-in-law. He wrote with humor and love about more everyday chapters, like the pitiful first Christmas tree he and Sharon bought after they married, positioned above the TV in their tiny trailer. As a critic, he was a fixture in local playhouses and dinner theaters and caught many movie matinees, taking notes under the light of the cinema screen. After his beloved Indy closed down, he forged a second career at St. Petersburg College and did freelance editing work with Sharon. Even more than newspapers, he loved his daughters. On road trips, he led the family in fraternity drinking songs and at bedtimes played Broadway tunes on the turntable. He tossed softballs in the yard, jogged behind wobbly bike riders and was the hit around every Girl Scout campfire. He never sent a greeting card that didn't include a few lines of original verse, and he had an uncanny gift for parodying song lyrics to honor — or roast — loved ones and friends. He was a natural performer, a constant friend and a sentimental soul. At age 70, he suffered a near-fatal cerebral aneurysm that led to dementia. But in the 14 years that followed, he became a grandfather to two beautiful boys and basked in family time, visits with his Ocala High School classmates, reunions with Independent staffers and quiet days with Sharon. When she died suddenly in 2018, he never knew she was gone. He is survived by his daughters McKell Moorhead and Molly Moorhead (John Sessa) and grandsons, Kepa and Luca Sessa, all of St. Petersburg; as well as many cousins. Jim's was surely a life worth celebrating. We'll do that once the pandemic has abated and it's safe to gather. To honor his memory, please support independent journalism and subscribe to your local newspaper.