Willard D. James, 90

Willard D. James, 90, passed away peacefully on July 25, 2010, at Life Care Center, Coeur d'Alene. He was a very devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

He was born Sept. 18, 1919, in Gilroy, Calif., to Dennis J. and Minnie E. James. Dad's childhood was short lived when he lost his own father at a young age of 11 and was left to help his mother and younger brother run the family farm during the Great Depression. So much was going on with the economy back in the ‘30s along with many sad times of yet to come but with perseverance of hard work, struggling to make ends meet dad grew up fast knowing that life has its challenges and no matter what you still carried on everyday and made the very best of it.

Dad was a wonderful loving, generous and hardworking man in which he was always involved with so many adventures in his long life. From serving in the Army in WWII, several years of construction which involved many dams starting out with Shasta Dam with his last one was Lower Granite Dam. He thought he would change and go back into construction so another chapter in his life was about to start which took his travels from Anacortes, Wash., all the way to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and that is where he met his wife Darlene. After a few years of living on the "rock" as dad would say it was time to come back to the mainland and relocate to their present home in Hayden. We thought Dad was done with working and finally retire but he decided to do one more try at something else and that was to be a driver for a courier service for awhile. One thing about Dad he just never wanted to give up his activities in life and he lived a full one.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Darlene James in which they shared to many fond memories of the years they spent in Kailua-Kona. Dad is also survived his son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Cherie James of Moscow; daughter and son-in law Renee and Larry Hollibaugh of Greer and stepson and daughter-in-law Steven and Christie Bell of Meerville, Ill.; 10 grandsons and one great-grandson. Dad always said he had enough grandsons for a basketball team!

Dad will be so missed in our hearts but we all have so many memories and that is what will keep us going strong each and every day. We know dad had so many friends along the way and everyone will always remember W.D. James and his family will never forget on how he touched everyone he met along his several adventures in life.

Dad, our sadness knows no end and it is still so hard to believe your gone;

Every day each memory and thought helps us to carry on

with so many fond memories of you

We could always count on you for support and care,

when we needed a true friend,

How we'll ever do without our dad,

We cannot comprehend.

You were our teacher and our guide,

Our dad, so good and strong;

Your example will sustain us now,

And last our whole lives long.

We're trying to communicate;

We hope that you can hear;

Expressing what we feel for you,

Helps us feel you're near.

Our memories of the times we had

Help the pain to go away.

But Dad, our lives won't be the same;

We'll miss you so much every day.

A part of us went with you;

You left a gap too big to fill;

You're our father and our hero;

We love you and we always will.

With so much love

Your children

It was Dads wishes no services be planned and his cremation was under the direction of Yates Funeral Home in which they were so gracious in assisting our family at this time of our loss.