John Michael "Mike" James

John Michael James passed away at the age of 74, on November 20, 2022, at his home in Dixie, WA, after a lengthy battle with a debilitating disease. He will be remembered for his humor, his kindness, and his love for his pets.

Mike was born May 18, 1948, in Oregon City, OR, to Ray James and Evelynn “Monte” James-Miller. Mike’s father died when Mike was six years old, and he and his siblings were raised by his mother until his mom remarried much later to Bill Miller in Pendleton, OR. Mike and his siblings spent summers in Mosby, MT, with his aunt and uncles. His uncles taught him to fish at an early age.

Mike attended school in Pendleton, OR, then went to the University of Oregon, where he earned a BA in communications and film. He never pursued that degree but loved photography all his life.

Mike went to Oahu, HI, in the early 1970s and worked with friends doing drywall. Later he returned to Pendleton and joined a Forest Service Helitack crew out of Ukiah, OR, and helped fight fires.

In 1990, Mike decided to take nurses training at Walla Walla Community College, and he graduated with his RN degree in 1992. Mike went to work for the Walla Walla Veteran’s Medical Center after graduation from WWCC, and there met and later married Joanne Hesser in 1997. Mike retired from the VA in 2010.

Mike and Joanne enjoyed traveling with their camper, doing all the back roads he could find navigable and all the national parks he could. Mike loved incorporating his photography with his travels, birding, fishing, rock hounding, and hiking, and never without his dogs. Mike also loved to paddle his kayaks and did many of the local rivers and streams as well as out of state during travels, taking his stepgrandson, Dillon Brown, on many kayak excursions. Mike also loved to write short stories.

Mike belonged to the Blue Mountain Audubon and, at one time to the Walla Walla Photo club.

Mike is preceded in death by his father, Ray James; mother, Evelyn “Monte” Miller; stepfather, Bill Miller; and stepbrother, Ronald James.

Mike is survived by his wife, Joanne of Dixie, WA; brother, LaMarr James of Walla Walla; sister, Laura James of Walla Walla; half-brother, Shannon Peake of Eugene, OR; stepdaughter, Jodi Brown of Milton Freewater; stepgrandson, Dillon Brown of Nampa, ID; and stepgranddaughter, Kelsey Brown of WA.

Special thanks to Walla Walla Hospice, Dr. Sean Duffy, and Pastor Jeff Larson of the Dayton SDA Church.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at 2:00 PM, at the Dayton SDA Church, 1525 S 4th St, Dayton, WA.

Donations may be made to the Blue Mountain Humane Society or Gospel Outreach through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder St., Walla Walla, WA 99362. In addition, friends and family are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.herringgroseclose.com.