Jim Clark, 78, of Boise passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, January 4 after a courageous and graceful battle with pancreatic cancer. 

Jim was born in Wendell, Idaho to Ray and Marie Clark.  The family lived throughout the Pacific Northwest and ultimately settled in Boise where Jim graduated from Boise High School and Boise Junior College.   Jim was passionately patriotic and served in the United States Navy, retiring after 21 years of combined active duty and reserve service.

Jim’s professional career spanned decades of hard work, beginning as a young boy setting pins in a bowling alley, selling newspapers on  street corners, stocking women’s lingerie in a department store, became the first employee at Tastee (Fanci) Freez on State Street in Boise, and was a bank teller at Idaho First National Bank.   All the work experience Jim acquired in his youth prepared him well for his 31 year career at IBM where he began working in the mailroom and retired as Business Operations Manager of the Boise office.   Jim never truly retired after leaving IBM, but went on to work in non-profit and other small businesses, including the Idaho Foodbank.  Most recently, Jim worked at Brasher’s Idaho Auto Auction until shortly before his death.

Although Jim clearly had a tremendous work ethic he also loved spending time outside and working with his hands. Jim was an avid fisherman, handyman and wood worker and made many items ranging from a wooden tray, a canoe, several grandfather clocks, cedar chests, multitudes of pens, bowls and other items.  

Jim's true passion, however, was his family. Family was the most important thing to Jim.  His wife, children and grandchildren were his pride and joy and he would have moved heaven and earth for any one of them. Jim is survived by his wife of 55 years, Betty Jo; son, Chris (Kathy); daughters, Connie and Kim (Steve), grandsons and granddaughter, Justin, Nolan, Karmen, Josh and Adam, brother, Loren, sister, Helen (Al), and many nieces, nephews and cousins. 

Jim was preceded in death by his daughter, Carrie Jo and his parents, Ray and Marie Clark.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in his name to the Idaho Foodbank or to a charity of your choice.