James “Cadillac” Saville Jr., Vice-President of the Palm Beach County chapter of Alternative MC, died January 22nd after his motorcycle rear-ended an armored truck that had unexpectedly stopped in front of him on Route 95 near Gateway Boulevard in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Saville was thrown from his bike onto the pavement and injured. Still alive, he was taken by ambulance to the Delray Medical Center in neighboring Delray Beach where he died.

Alternative Motorcycle Club is a clean and sober motorcycle club with 18 chapters in Florida, the mid-Atlantic states and Texas. It is a family oriented, three-piece patch club.

Former Bull Rider

Saville was a former bull rider and a recovering drug addict who by all accounts continued to live hard and well after he became clean and sober. He was the devoted father of four children from two failed marriages. When he died he was gainfully employed as a partner in a welding business.

Saville is survived by his mother, Judith McElfresh, of Davie, Florida and his four children: James Lee, Jessica Lynn, Carl James and Taylor Katherine Saville. He is also survived by the fond memories of his club brothers.

“I think if God came down and told Jimmy his time was up, he would say, ‘I want to go sober on my motorcycle,’” Alternative Chapter President Scott “Cookie” Stein told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “And that is how he went out.”

A memorial service for Saville will be held at noon this Saturday, January 31st, at Unity Church of Delray Beach.

Cadillac Saville was just 41.

Requiescat In Pace

From The Aging Rebel: http://www.agingrebel.com/?p=1054

James ‘Cadillac’ Saville Jr.

Some knew him as a biker or welder, others as a bull rider or recovered alcoholic, but everyone who knew James “Cadillac” Saville Jr. agreed on this: He was a devoted father who adored his kids, lived life large and was generous to a fault.

Mr. Saville, vice president of the Palm Beach County chapter of the Alternative MC, a clean and sober motorcycle club, was killed Thursday when his 2007 Harley Davidson hit the back of an armored truck on Interstate 95 near Gateway Boulevard. Mr. Saville was thrown from his bike and died later at Delray Medical Center. He was 41.

A memorial service is planned Saturday in Delray Beach.

“I think if God came down and told Jimmy his time was up, he would say, ‘I want to go sober on my motorcycle,” said Scott “Cookie” Stein, the club’s president. “And that is how he went out.”

Mr. Saville, of West Palm Beach, grew up in Davie, where he began bull riding in rodeos in his early 20s. Someone jokingly nicknamed him “Cadillac” because his last name sounded like a model of the luxury car, and the name stuck, said John Martel, who ran a welding business with Mr. Saville. Mr. Saville had the nickname tattooed on his chest, Martel said.

“Anything he did was over the top,” Martel said. “If it was cooking spaghetti or doing something for work, no corners were ever cut. That was across-the-board for everything he did – for his family, for friends, for work, getting sober.”

Derik Russ, who shared Mr. Saville’s rodeo days and saw him through two divorces and the ups and downs of addiction, called his longtime friend “Big Daddy” because of his devotion to his four children.

“Those kids were No. 1,” Russ said.

Stein said Mr. Saville took his children with him everywhere. Last August, Mr. Saville celebrated his second anniversary of sobriety, surrounded by his kids.

“He was an amazing person. He had just enough time to clean up the wreckage of his past and become the man he wanted to be,” Stein said.

Survivors include his mother, Judith McElfresh, of Davie; and children James Lee and Jessica Lynn, of West Palm Beach, and Carl James and Taylor Katherine, of Wellington.

A memorial service will be held at noon Saturday at Unity Church of Delray Beach, 101 NW 22nd St.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to an educational fund for Mr. Saville’s children, c/o John Martel, at any Wachovia Bank branch.

Proceeds from the Alternative MC’s annual event Feb. 7 at the Clubhouse in Delray Beach also will benefit Mr. Saville’s children.

Reprinted from:  http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2009-01-29/news/0901290102_1_memorial-service-cadillac-john-martel

Saville, James “Cadillac” Burton, Jr., 41, of West Palm Beach, died Thursday, January 22, 2009; in a tragic motorcycle accident. Born January 20, 1968 in Greensburg, PA; he is son to Judith McElfresh and James Burton Saville, Sr. Jim was a proud father of 4 beautiful children and lived every day to make them smile. He was also a partner in a welding business, All American Welding of West Palm Beach, and Vice-President of Alternative Motorcycle Club of Delray Beach. From his years of riding rodeo to his more recent years of riding motorcycles, Jim lived a very adventurous life and never turned down an opportunity to have fun. He found sobriety through AA over 2 1/2 years ago and became the man he always wanted to be for his family. He will be lovingly remembered for his wild sense of humor, quick wit, great story-telling ability, his crazy laugh, for being the biggest Steelers fan in Florida, and most notably his dedication and love for his children, family, friends and his sobriety. He is survived by his mother Judith McElfresh, of Davie, FL; his children, James Lee Saville, 21, Jessica Lynn Saville, 18, Carl James Saville, 16, and Taylor Katherine Saville, 15; his sister Allison Saville in CA.; his uncle Mark Lopushansky and wife Sue; his uncle Nicholas Lopushansky, Jr. and wife Rosemary of Greensburg, PA; Family friend, business partner and brother, John Martel and wife Mary of West Palm Beach, FL; girlfriend Michelle Krapac of Delray Beach, FL; and the dedicated brotherhood of Alternative MC. He is preceded in death by his father James Burton Saville, Sr.; his stepfather Bob McElfresh, his paternal grandparents James and Louise Saville and maternal grandparents Nick and Katherine Lopushansky. A memorial service will be held at Unity Church of Delray Beach, 101 NW 22nd St., on Saturday, January 31, 2009 at 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made for his children’s educational fund, c/o John and Mary Martel and sent to 11159 49th St. North, West Palm Beach, FL 33411. Alternative MC’s Annual event will also be planned for February 7, 2009, at the Clubhouse in Delray Beach, with fundraiser proceeds also benefiting Jim’s children. FAAF
Published in the Sun-Sentinel on 1/27/2009