James Courtney O’Neill, 80

James Courtney O’Neill passed away peacefully at home in Dalton Gardens on Aug. 11, 2022.

Born on Aug. 30, 1941, in Great Falls, Mont., and at age 18 left Montana to work for ATCO. He traveled extensively, building modular housing for temporary work camps for various entities, including the U.S. Military in Vietnam. After which, the company awarded him an airline ticket to visit places around the world he would have otherwise only dreamed of seeing.

In 1966, his work took him to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he met his wife, Sylvia, and they married the following year. Jim and Sylvia traveled following Jim’s work projects until they settled in Salt Lake City in 1969. He rose through the ranks to become manager of several manufactured-home assembly plants across the western states before striking out on his own in 1977 with Empire Door. He launched his business in the only location in all of his travels that he had ever wanted to call home: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

For a while he raced sprint cars, was on a pit crew at the Indy 500 and even learned to fly. But, after retiring, Jim returned to his lifelong love of trains. He built a new home in Dalton Gardens with an attached, grown-up playroom and erected a legendary model railroad layout. It was renowned not only for its impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail, but also the camaraderie that it engendered among the group of fellow enthusiasts who gathered to work on it twice weekly.

Jim was a good, kind man who loved animals and indulged Sylvia’s need to save them all by always having at least one rescued pet. At their cabin on Priest Lake, “Captain Jim” taught generations of family and friends how to ski behind his beloved ’92 Ski Nautique. He was the best ski instructor and coach.

Jim is survived by his wife, Sylvia, sons Patrick (Terry) and Michael (Karla), daughter Shauna (Jon Stanley), grandchildren Brittney (Nate Goullette), Brian O’Neill, and Jameson Stanley, and great-grandchildren Isabella and Israel.

At his request, there will be no services and, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Companion Animal Center, formerly the Kootenai Humane Society.