We miss you and continue to celebrate you every day through stories told for the first or maybe even the tenth time.  The boys never get tired of hearing them and Johnny loves to tell them in such a way, that I can almost hear your voice coming through and see that grin you would get on your face.

I hope you tee'd off today and shot a hole in one!  

Happy Birthday.  We love you Dad!  

Love -  Michele, Johnny, Austen and Casey 

Steve,

One thing for sure - time heals very slowly.   I can speak for all of us.

You must be very proud of your Grandboys - they are awesome!
Austen (H.S.), Cam (H.S.), Colin (J.H.), Carson (Elem.) and Casey (Elem.).
They are all doing great in their sports, music, academics and all have good
hearts like Grandpa.

Spence, who shares your birthday, is 90!

Happy Birthday, honey.  I love you.  Barb            

Happy Birthday Dad! 
     I hope you know that you were thought of with extra big smiles today.  The memories of past birthdays remembered and many other happy celebrations that have come and gone.  Your legacy continues in every life you touched and every grandchild you held.  I hope you're having ice cream!
                                     I love you,
                                              Michele

I miss you-

If I could write a story
It would be the greatest ever told
Of a kind and loving father
Who had a heart of gold

If could write a million pages
But still be unable to say, just how
Much I love and miss him
Every single day

I will remember all he taught me
I'm hurt but won't be sad
‘coz he'll send me down the answers
And he'll always be MY DAD

Love, Michele

A Gathering at Kenwood

Elspeth and I were in Seattle for Christmas and Judy Fawcett invited us, and Terry and Turney Oswald to dinner at her place last week.   Judy lives in a country club north of Seattle, not unlike the fictional “Kenwood” of her recent book.   The group  at dinner were those from the Sheridan/Shoreline “Old Gang”  that was able to be there.

When the drinks were poured,  we first raised them in honor of Butch.  Requiem Aeternam.

Conversation ranged around a series of things, and friends from High School.  So and so was divorced, so and so moved away or to Seattle.  But the conversation kept coming back to Butch and his family:  His wedding, the loss of Patti, the “finding” of Barb, the care of Chris in between,  their living (and his flying) in Alaska. 

Butch’s desire was not to have a funeral, and of course that wish was honored.  Still, I think it would not have been the wish of the “old gang”.   There seemed to be a need to talk.  Needed closure, some one said.  Perhaps this was, in some way, a memorial for Butch, at least for those there.

As we left Kenwood, amid farewell hugs  that night, some one said, “we really are good friends”.   But Butch, ever a part of the group,  and not here that night, was missed, and will be always.

Hi Uncle Steve –

You were a good man, a kind man, a warm man and your easy, good-humored laugh filled the room.  I always looked forward to your visits, even though it meant putting up with your mischievous antics. Whether it was interrupting the volleyball game to remind me to be mindful of my mealtime responsibilities as hostess or when I was in my mid-20s and single, pointing out that “At your age, Susan, your mom had been married three years and had as many children”, it was all amusing repartee (or, at least, that was how I preferred to take it).  

One of our treasured moments together was when you took me soaring in your small plane. I was thrilled you wanted to take the time with me.  Of course, I was awakened from my bird-bliss as we approached Boeing Field to land. You instructed me, rather adamantly (twice!), to watch for other planes so we wouldn’t hit one and die in a burning ball of fire. That may be one reason you were available to take me flying…not sure you had any other takers.

Did I ever thank you for treating me like an adult, and your equal, when your wonderful mother, my grandmother, was dying? Mom and dad were living in Spain, Uncle John & Stella were in California and my grandparents relied mostly on you and Aunt Barb during that time.  It was tough watching grandma suffer the second heart attack that ultimately took her life but, in moms absence, I felt we supported each other through those difficult days.

You lead an adventurous, full life packing much in to your short 72 years. These fond memories of you will keep us company in the years to come. It was a privilege being your niece and I will miss and hold you in my heart forever more.

From one of your many fans with love.

Susan

Uncle Steve was a patient man who seemed to find joy in even the greatest of nuisances!  As a child, I remember climbing, uninvited, onto Steve's lap and reading a whole story for the first time, all by myself.  He smiled calmly as I stumbled and bumbled through the entire book -- Dr. Seuss' Are You My Mother?  And then he laughed that wonderful laugh of his -- a sound I continue hearing, a sound that will forever make me smile.  Thank you Steve, for all your wonderful laughter.   

Chris,  I'm really sorry to hear about your dad. He was always really nice. Remember when he took us flying over St. Helen's?  That was cool, I still have those pictures. I remember the faint smell of cigars and the NPR or BBC news always on the radio whenever we went anywhere in his sedan. I hope you and your family are doing well considering the circumstances. Please forwared our sympathies and condolences to your Mom.  Craig

Sorry for your loss Aunt Barb, Chris, Michele and their children. He was a Great Uncle I admired him. The way he was adventurous in trying new thing and having a great family! 

Stuart

I will miss my friend of so many years.  Steve was my friend from our early years in junior high school through college and continued through the last 60 years.  While our lives went in different directions, when we came back together it was as if no time had passed.  We even noted on our high school 50th anniversary that the level of comfort was the same even though we were seventy and not seventeen.  

Our adventures with Pete Lothes and Bill Oves were memorable.  We were very fortunate.  Swimming and water skiing in the summer and snow skiing at Stevens Pass in the winter.  I remember Butch taking my "girlfriend" Turney Howard for her first water skiing experience.  Unfortunately, we did not instruct her on how or when to get off.  Consequently it was a very long first ski trip and I finally told Butch to just shut the motor down.  Turney apparently wasn't discouraged as we are now celebrating our 53rd wedding anniversary.  

When my Dad thought it was time for us to experience a little work challenge, we spent a summer working the pea harvest in Quincy, Washington.  It was a challenge.  I remember at the end of the summer our skin was deeply tanned with a greenish caste. Communal living in the bunk house and meals at the cookhouse were also a life enriching experience.  We found the experience of working and living with Mexican workers to be rewarding, although only in retrospect.  At the time we refused to quit only because we didn't want to be the only quitter.  It reaffirmed our commitment to get a college education.  

At the University of Washington, Butch and I roomed together with several fraternity brothers and learned to live on French dip sandwiches because the sympathetic couple that ran the diner provided extra bread and au jus.  Money was tight.  I think we found summer work moving pianos for Lyon Van and Storage.  Somehow we all survived.  

I feel very fortunate to have Butch as a friend for life.  I will miss him.

C. Steven James (aka “Butch”) has been a close friend of mine for over 60 years, and his loss reminds all of  us of our own mortality, and the preciousness of time with really good friends.

 I moved into Sheridan, his neighborhood, when both of us were in the 5th grade.  I first met him at the Lake Washington beach at the bottom of the hill.  It was mid summer, and while I couldn’t swim, I went to the beach to wade in the water.  Butch was on the dock, and shortly after a brief introduction, he said, “C’mon, let’s dive off the diving board”.  I said, you’re nuts, you can’t do that.  He assured me that he could, whereupon I bet him a million dollars that he couldn’t.  He promptly did so!   I went home and told my mother I needed to learn how to swim and dive – quickly.  I still owe him the million.  Later, we would both swim across the lake, about 3 miles at that point.

 There was a group of us, living mostly within a few blocks of Butch, who grew up together, and stayed very close throughout Jr. High and High School, and beyond.  Bill Oves, Terry Oswald, and later in High school, Turney (Howard) Oswald, Judy Fawcett, and others.  We shared these formative, important, and sometimes difficult years, and the bonds continue to this day.  Very important bonds.

 With a little thought, I could produce another 10 to 15 vignettes like the diving board above, that  make me smile. Perhaps in time I will send them on.  But the bottom line is that for 60 years Butch was one of a very few who would come to mind if some one asked me, "do you have any really good friends?".  He will be very, very, sorely missed.

 Pete Lothes
Quechee, Vermont

Ernie's and my friendship with Steve and Barb began with the engagement of our daughter, Betsy, to their son, Chris, in 1996.  Steve went out of his way to welcome us to the Seattle area and the James family.  He was always such a fine host and an excellent bartender when he and Barb hosted any occasion.

His slightly mischievious grin and hearty chuckle will always be what I remember most about him, along with his penchant for teasing, and that twinkle in his eye when he knew had you!!  May these endear him to the angels!!!



 

The first time that I met Steve I was 11 and he was probably 20.  He was dating my sister Patty and he was the classic 50's guy with the leather jacket and hot rod.

When I was 15 to 17 we would play a lot of golf together on the weekends at Redmond municipal.  It was always fun to play with him especially when he shanked the ball.

I will miss Steve and I am glad that we were able to play golf again about 6 yrs. ago but I wish our families could have gotten together more.   

I can see by the other stories that he had a full life and great experiences with his family and grandkids.  He is definitely smiling knowing that he had a good life.



 

I have so many great memories of Steve that it's going to be very hard to keep this short - so it probably won't be.

My first memory of Steve was the day I met him. I was dating Michele and going to dinner at their house for the first time. It was always very nerve-wracking meeting a girlfriends father for the first time, but as Michele and I drove by the "Street of Dream Homes" in their Redmond neighborhood, I thought to myself, "What did I get myself into?", thinking I could never live up to the expectations of someone this successful. As my mullet and I approached Steve to shake his hand, his warm and inviting smile and demeanor made all of my anxiety disappear. Not once did I ever feel like I didn't belong or that Steve placed any judgement on me. That was the kind of great person he was - he would accept you as you are without judgement.

Many more of my vivid memories occurred on the golf course. Over the course of the 22 years that I was lucky enough to know Steve, we, along with Chris, did a TON of golfing. I remember the competitiveness that we all brought the course week in and week out - especially between Steve and Chris. All round Steve would make little comments to or around Chris to throw off his game. And it would work every time. Comments like, "Don't hit it into the trees" or "Watch out for the water on the left". Then Chris would of course hit it exactly where Steve had metioned. I never laughed so hard when we were golfing. Of course Chris wasn't the only one Steve would try this type of thing with. Now I don't know if he actually enjoyed eating peanut butter and pickle sandwiches or not, but every time I saw him break one of those out (which always happened to be when our scores were very close or before I would walk up to tee off), I couldn't believe he was going to actually eat that thing. So when I saw Chris take a bite of one of those sandiwiches I just knew they were out to mess with me. And, of course, that strategy worked as I would then proceed to shank the tee shot. Those memories will be with me forever.

I also remember how much Austen loved being spending time with Grandpa. Austen always enjoyed going over to Golf Grandma and Grandpa's house whenever he had the chance. He loved going golf ball hunting and sneaking cookies with Grandpa. He also looked forward to sitting on his lap as Grandpa would read "The Night Before Christmas" every Christmas day. Casey was too young to remember spending time with Grandpa, so unfortunately we're going to be forced to rely on stories and pictures of Grandpa when remembering special moments. This is one of the most heart breaking things to accept...knowing that Casey will never have a chance to get to know and spend time with such a great man - his Golf Grandpa.  

I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Steve. He opened his home, family, and life with me, and for that I will forever be grateful. I will miss him greatly and think about him often. I will never forget him.

Dad –

You are an awesome father.  You are loved by many and will be missed greatly.

I will remember: 

-Our many rounds of golf – though they may have sometimes been a bit too competitive. :-)
-Flying to Snohomish for breakfast on many Saturday mornings. Family trips to Sun Valley, Bachelor, Priest Lake, Yellowstone, etc.
-You and Mom attending my baseball games for which you admittedly enjoyed greatly.
- You and Mom attending my soccer games for which you admittedly did not enjoy so much.  I was happy you brought your portable radio to my games so we could keep up with the Seahawks and hear Zorn to Largent touchdowns live.
- Our fishing trip in Alaska-  We got there by seaplane, floated down the river and camped in the woods. You caught a huge king salmon and had to knock it out with a bottle of Yukon Jack!

What will be missed:

-Your genuine laughter- Each holiday season somehow the story of my “bronchitis” as a kid would come up. You would laugh hysterically recalling how I fainted when I heard the diagnosis because I thought it was some terrible disease. 
-Your loving way with the grandkids- I loved watching your grandsons gather around you at Christmas time to hear you read T'was The Night Before Christmas.
-Your steadfastness- After 30+ years you still would not talk about the time I took the keys to your company car and a train somehow crashed into me and totaled the car.
- Your sense of humor- which I inherited. I’m not sure Betsy thinks I’m so funny, but I know I am.

You did good.  I love you!  Your son, Chris

 From Betsy~

When Chris and I first met, I saw the kind and adventurous side of Steve when he flew us to the San Juan Islands for one of our first dates.  I was thrilled to see Washington from such a spectacular view as Steve pointed out things to see. On that same trip, I saw Steve’s humorous side when he led me to believe I was doing a terrible job of steering the plane on the runway, when he was really controlling the plane with the foot pedals.  I know this same goofy sense of humor was inherited by my husband!  I was also able to experience the intellectual side of Steve as he sometimes goaded me into some political sparring.  I remember feeling torn at wanting to be liked by him and wanting to voice my sometimes differing views.  He pushed me to explain my thinking which often helped me learn and understand why things were important to me.  Thankfully our conversations always ended in smiles though I admit to feeling a little stressed during some of the conversations, especially during the 1996 Clinton and Dole election.  I will miss Steve and always appreciate the warmth with which he welcomed me to the family. 

I remember whenever I would go over to their house, Grandpa would always give me a BIG HUNK of cheese.  He'd cut one for him and one for me. ~Cameron

I like that Grandpa came to watch me play baseball. I remember hearing him cheer for me when I get a hit. ~Colin

I love you because you were the best Grandpa and you fly good. ~Carson