James Louis Newman

James Louis Newman
"Jim" James Louis Newman, born to Linda and Lewis Newman on 12-10-1943 in Milwaukee, WI passed away on 4-1-2017 in the Spokane VA Hospital, Spokane, WA of Congestive Heart Failure.
His parents moved to Oregon and then to Yakima, WA where he attended St Paul's grade school and graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1962. He attended CWU in Ellensburg, WA where he obtained a BA in Sociology. He got his diploma and his draft notice in the mail on the same day. Jim was drafted into the Army, in an Infantry Unit and served in Vietnam for a year. "War, what is it good for? Absolutely Nothing. Only friends to the Undertaker. Good God!" Was Jim's motto for his time "in country" and ever since. He carried the scars of Vietnam with PTSD and was amazed and grateful for the respectful, kind and compassionate care he got at the VA hospital. A lot of healing happened there. Vets taking care of Vets goes a long way!
After discharge from the Army, Jim traveled and then worked with the Juvenile Court system in Yakima for a number of years. Did bus driving in Port Angeles and then got two more degrees in History and in Chemical Dependency Counseling from ESU and worked with Court Appointed Drug and Alcohol Counseling for the rest of his career.
Jim met, Anna Marie Barthel, floating down the Yakima River, the summer of '77. Anna Marie fell off her inner tube and it was Jim, the gallant gent that saved the day, by helping her back onto her tube. And romance was sparked! They eloped on Jan 5th, 1980 with daughter Kelly and several friends in tow to Coeur d'Alene, ID. Jim and Anna Marie have moved around and around WA state, living in Yakima, Port Angeles, Walla Walla, Spokane, Everett, Mukilteo, Moses Lake, Mount Vernon and Ellensburg. Making friends all along the way. Jim liked traveling, talking to people and laughter. A good belly laugh was all the encouragement he needed to keep a story going. So, no one was surprised that he chose April Fool's Day as his last day!
Mostly he liked spending time with Kelly, her husband, Adam and the Grands: Cody, Jesse and Ruby Hall. He loved hearing their stories and making up stories for them. It truly was his joy to spend time with them and realized he wouldn't be there for the "rest of their stories." He always wanted to make his time with them the best, to make good memories with them. So, he made up stories to entertain and make them laugh, even when everyone knew they were pretty tall tales! He liked being Grampa Jim.
Jim is survived by his wife, Anna Marie of Ellensburg, daughter Kelly, and her husband Adam, The Grands, Cody, Jesse and Ruby Hall of Kennewick, his sister Carole, and her husband Kenneth Matteson in Mukilteo, four nieces, and many friends.
A celebration of life will be held at the  American Legion, 1101 East Craig Avenue, Ellensburg WA on April 22, 2017 at 1pm.