James Lewis “Jim” Stoll, 64, passed away on August 26th, 2015, in the comfort of his own home, after a long, tenacious battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his parents Bud and Cecelia Stoll, of Michigan.  He is survived by his wife Patricia Stoll; his son, Aaron (Debbie) Stoll of Port Orchard, WA; his daughter, Megan Stoll of Poulsbo; his sister, Susan Stoll of Tustin, MI; his brother Daniel (Ella) Stoll, of Fredericksburg, VA; and his three grandchildren, Bryce Hamilton, Breony Hamilton, and Amelia Stoll.

  Jim was born on October 25th, 1950 in Detroit, Michigan to Cecelia (Syzdek) Stoll and Willard Lewis “Bud” Stoll.  He grew up in Monroe, MI, the oldest of 3 siblings.  From a young age he exhibited the ingenuity, introversion, and maverick spirit that his loved ones knew him for. In high school, he had a passion and talent for photography and excelled working for the student paper.  He graduated from Monroe High in 1968.

After 2 years of working at the Monroe Korvette Store and attending community college, Jim joined the United States Coast Guard in June of 1970.  He trained at Cape May, New Jersey and then was stationed at USCG Rockaway Station, in New York, where he took part in many life-saving rescues.  Family accounts recall how his gift for getting things done creatively and despite adversity served him well in his Coast Guard days.  His family enjoyed his visits home, with many tales of his adventures in the service, as he swiftly became known as “the guy that could get things” and “get things done”.

In 1972, he was transferred to the USCGC Sweetbrier, in Juneau, Alaska where he achieved the rank of Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class.  He traveled all over coastal Alaska, and when his service ended in 1976, he bought a 34’ Columbia sailboat to live on and remained in Juneau, working multiple jobs as a school bus driver, a bartender, and operating his own diving business.  During this time, he met Patricia (Patti) Kutz, and they married on Alaska Day, October 18th, 1976, after a 3 month whirlwind romance.

In 1979, Jim and Patti relocated to Washington State, where he worked for Boyer Towing and continued to sail between Alaska and Washington.  They bought a house near Poulsbo, west of Seattle, and started a family.  In 1983, Jim went to work for the security police force at Naval Sub Base Bangor.  The security force at Bangor was subcontracted to private companies to operate and during this career, Jim worked for Pan Am Airlines, United Airlines, and finally, Johnson Controls.

A business opportunity presented itself in 1994, to take over operation of a motel, restaurant, and bar in the small Alaskan village of Hoonah.  Jim moved his family north for one last Alaska adventure, creating memories, lessons, and stories to last a lifetime.  When they returned to Washington, Jim went to work for Kitsap County in 1998, as a mechanic, where he quickly worked his way up to supervisory positions.  He was a dedicated employee of the county until the time of his death.  He will be remembered by close loved ones as a master of mechanical improvisation, a non-conformist, a good family man, and for his passion for work—he applied himself wholly to any job set before him, no matter how large or small.

Jim loved to travel and explore and had many different hobbies and interests throughout his life, ranging from sailing and boating, to joining the local rock club, to motorcycles, to fishing and so much more. In 2011, he discovered geocaching, with his wife, Patti, and was exceptionally good at finding geocaches, after she navigated him to “the spot”.  In the later years, he especially loved flying his many kites, which he called “planting flowers in the sky”, a phrase he saw once, and adopted ever-after.

Above all, Jim loved his family.  Although he was very good at donning a rough, gruff and tough persona,  we all knew he was a teddy bear at heart.  With the birth of grandaughter, Amelia, it all came out in one "look", when he met her.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to North Kitsap Fishline.

His family invites friends and co-workers to join us for an informal Celebration of Life, which will be held at Salsbury Point Park on September 26th, 2015. The memory-sharing and potluck starts at 5 pm, followed by a special ceremony and final farewells, at 7 p.m.