Family man.

Kind-hearted person.Jack-of-all-trades.To those who knew and loved him most, James Downing was a combination of all of those wrapped into one.An avid rider, Downing, of Palmerton, was involved in a motorcycle crash with a pickup truck Tuesday in Moore Township.Sadly, Downing was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 57.A feeling of shockBorn in Ambler, Downing is the son of Madelyn (Boccuti) Downing of Ambler and the late James R. Downing.He was also the loving husband of Tracey L. (Goodrich) Downing. They were married for 17 years."It was a shock," Tracey said. "An unexpected tragedy."Above all else, Tracey said family came first to her husband."If something happened in these kids' lives, or anybody who needed help, he didn't do it disgruntled," she said. "That was his gift."Downing, who was preceded in death by his daughter, Alexandrea, in 2004, also left behind six children: daughters, Vesta in Maryland, Mysty in Virginia, Jami of Palmerton; sons James II, Donnie and Joshua, all of Palmerton.He had seven grandchildren Tré, Jordan, Jevon, Emma, Mathieu, Ryleigh and Jade; sister Mary Anne and husband Terry Fennell of Ambler; brothers, Thomas and wife Gerry of Ambler, Robert in Florida; and many loving nephews and nieces."He was very protective of his family," Vesta said. "He will be missed.""He never complained," Mysty said. "He loved my mom; he just adored my mom, and he took all of us in because of the love he had for her."Downing was very supportive of his mother-in-law as well, according to his family.Caring personAlong with his wife, Downing also co-owned Bert's Steakhouse in Palmerton.The respect Downing earned from local business owners up and down Delaware Avenue speaks volumes about his character.Bernie Shea, owner of Shea's Hardware Inc. in Palmerton, was moved to tears as he spoke of Downing."Personally, he was a wonderful, outstanding person," Shea said."The neighborly aspect of him, when my parents were very, very ill, what he did for them was just wonderful.I'm just shocked of this whole thing. I can't believe it."The employees of Palmerton Auto Parts are in mourning as well. They sent a collective statement Friday morning:"The boys at Palmerton Auto will miss our good friend Jim. Always quick with a smile and good morning. We got to know Jim from coming into the parts store."When Jim would come in he was always pleasant and friendly. Everyone knew Jim's Chevy pickup that he loved, not only would he come in for pickup parts, but he always took good care of his kids vehicles."He loved his children and never had a problem helping them out with repairs. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tracey and the family and we're sorry for their loss. He will be missed dearly."Remembering him as a "great guy," Steve Hearn, an auto mechanic at Hearn Enterprises in Palmerton, added, "When he would come in, he would act like a friend, instead of a customer.It was always a pleasure to go to his business, he and his wife. We really liked him a lot."The initial post about the crash on the Times News Facebook page drew 56 "shares" and many comments from customers and friends.Tonya Cook wrote, "Such sad news. My family and I eat at Bert's a few times a week."Man of many skillsBefore his death, Downing worked as an aerospace machinist, and was a skilled and accomplished tool and die maker at Sussex Wire in Easton.In addition to spending time with family, Downing loved to hunt and sail. He was a member of the National Rifle Association.Despite the huge role he played behind the scenes at Bert's, Tracey said her husband never took any credit."He would always joke that he's not the owner," Tracey said. "But, he did all the work."Tracey added, "He would help as much as he could, and they (Bert's employees) will all miss him," Tracey said. "They said he did the work of 10 men."Funeral services for Downing were held today at St. John's Towamensing Church.