Wangle

James Paul Gracey, often referred to as Jimmy, was the young man who inspired the Wangle app. Jimmy was a dearly loved 20 year-old college student who adored hockey, being with his family and four younger siblings, and spending time with his fraternity brothers and friends. He was known for his perfectly timed sarcasm, humor, kindness, and faith.

Jimmy was playfully mischievous. When his younger sister was leaving for college at the University of Tampa, Jimmy and his aunt filled her entire car with toilet paper as a prank.

Jimmy was also a young man of character. He played hard to win in the hockey rink, but often helped opponents get up and shook their hands after they bested him on the ice. Jimmy was gracious and went out of his way to show gratitude. He once stayed at a friend's home and both texted and called the friend's mother afterward to convey his thanks. The friend's mother was so touched that she called Jimmy's mother to share the story. Jimmy's mother wasn't surprised; that was Jimmy.

In March of 2026, Jimmy was in Spain on spring break. He left a venue alone one night and realized his phone had been stolen. He could not reach the people he was in Spain with or get back to his rental property. Jimmy tried to keep himself warm and safe that night, but tragically lost his life. It was an unbelievable loss for his family, friends and community.

The creators of Wangle are close friends of the Gracey family. We want everyone to be able to reach their people, as quickly as possible, especially when they are vulnerable and without their phones and contact info. Maybe someone else will find safety when they desperately need it.

Jimmy's chosen home away from home was the University of Alabama (Roll Tide). Wangle was designed using U of A's signature color, crimson, and mascot, an elephant. The creators of Wangle lovingly refer to the Wangle elephant as Jim Elephant, or Jim-E.

When he was a little boy, Jimmy recorded a video of himself on his mom's phone. In the video, Jimmy sums himself up beautifully, saying:

"This is Jimmy, he's videotaping with the camera. He likes to videotape so much. He will never stop videotaping. He loves stories. And why he loves stories... is because he loves people."