Gwendolyn St James

Gwendolyn Alma St James, fondly known as Gwen or Gami, was a child of the windswept prairie, born on November 2, 1938, in Shaunavon, SK, Canada to the late Glenwood Lee and Violet Rowland. She was a woman of grace, warmth, and kindness, who made the world a better place by helping others where she was needed. Gwen passed away on September 4, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of love and cherished memories.
Gwen was a rolling stone. She would often count the number of houses she'd lived in, with few people able to match her total. From Shaunovon, she moved to Raymond, Alberta, where she grew up. She went on to live in Salt Lake City, Utah, Seattle, WA, Edmonds, WA, Bellingham WA, Bellevue WA, Ferndale, WA, Modesto, CA, Riverbank CA, Craig CO, Mountlake Terrace, WA, Mill Creek, WA, Lethbridge AB, Smithfield UT, Peoria AZ, and Sun City AZ. Wherever she went, she formed friendships that would last through her life.
Gwen worked as a vehicle licensing agent, starting in Colorado and ending with Harris Ford, in Washington. While she worked hard and loved her job, her most notable work accomplishment may have been snagging an autograph on a post-it from Ken Griffey. Jr. That's just how she rolled.
Gwen was a helper, willing to go wherever she was needed. When her daughter Cheryl's husband passed away, she moved in with Cheryl to help her care for her children. When Cheryl was later diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Gwen moved to Smithfield UT to live with and care for her and her family. When her mother needed someone to live with, she returned to Alberta to live with and care for her. She moved to Arizona to help her daughter Shawna to care for her family. For her children, one of the phrases most said to her was: "Sit down, mom. You don't need to do that." (She never listened.)
Gwen knew how to have fun, too. She was determined never to slow down. When most of us just want to put our feet up, she hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up to the rim. She bungee jumped off a bridge near Nanaimo. She rode the hot shot at the top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. She recently wanted to jump out of an airplane, stopped only by a stern warning from her doctor. She loved living, pushing at the margins at every opportunity.
Gwen's greatest treasure was her family and her friends. For many years, she would venture north from Arizona to visit her wide network of friends and family each summer. From Salt Lake to Seattle to Vancouver Island to Lethbridge to Peace River, she would spend her summers seeing and visiting with the people she loved. Especially the babies. She had a sixth sense for the presence of babies, and wanted to hold and play with them all. In the last few months, she "adopted" a baby that visited her neighbor across the hall.
Gwen is survived by her loving children Brad, Ben and Shawna Hudson. She was a loving mother and a doting grandmother, always there with a warm hug and a big smile. After learning about Natural Organic Reduction (human composting), she decided that she wanted to be returned to the earth. We invite you to an informal celebration of her life on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 1:00 pm PDT (2:00 pm MDT) at Return Home, located at 4146 B Place Northwest, Auburn, Washington, 98001.
Flow of the Celebration:
Welcome
Sharing of stories and memories
Memorial video
Goodbyes and placement of the vessel
Dress Code:
Come as you are! Casual attire is perfect.
Visiting & Participation:
Viewing is optional, the vessel has to be approached to be seen. Virtual attendees will see Gwendolyn in her vessel after being prompted during the service.
You are welcome to leave a note, a compostable token, or add a decoration to the vessel if you wish.
About Human Composting
To learn more about the process of Natural Organic Reduction (human composting), visit: https://returnhome.com/return-home-process/
Join via Zoom
The service will also be available on Zoom for those who cannot attend in person:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88611947116?pwd=m48oSHF8XazmpPVwBCWlyeaZ5cax8P.1
Meeting ID: 886 1194 7116
Passcode: 814242
A celebration of Gwen's life will also be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 1:00 pm MDT in Salt Lake City, Utah. The details will be provided soon.
We invite everyone who knew and loved Gwen to share their memories and upload photos on her memorial page. Let her memory live on in our hearts forever.