James Dwight Bast

Visitation: Sundy, June 15, 2025 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Washburn-McReavy Eden Prairie Chapel; 7625 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie, MN.
Private Interment: Hillside Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN
Celebration of Life Service: Monay, August 11, 2025 at 11 a.m. at Wooddale Church, 6630 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie.
James (Jim) Bast lived a life of faith, prayer, stewardship, and generosity. He died peacefully on June 11, 2025. He is survived by second wife Marlene (Walton, Rupp) Bast; children Christina Bast, Carissa (Cory) Dyck, and Jameson (Kristen) Bast; grandchildren Evelyn, Theo, and Wesley Dyck, and Joelle, Amber, Kara, and Nathan Bast; as well as stepchildren, sisters in-law and brothers in-law, nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews. He is preceded in death by first wife Linda (Neal) Bast, parents Vernon and Lucille Bast, and brother Gary Bast.
Jim was born on April 2, 1950 to Vernon and Lucille Bast of Minnetonka, Minnesota. He had one older brother, Gary Bast. As a boy Jim enjoyed building tree forts, science experiments, go carts, and summer trips to Leech Lake. As he grew, Jim enjoyed fixing up and driving motorcycles and cars, hanging out with his friends from church, and waterskiing. Jim accepted Christ at a Billy Graham crusade, and faith became a lifelong focus of his life. Jim graduated from Hopkins High School in 1968 and went on to Dunwoody College to earn a degree in Heating and Air Conditioning Layout and Design. He joined friends one summer to work at Victory Bible Camp in Alaska, and shared many fond memories of the (mis)adventures they had driving the 3,374 miles back to Minnesota, including four flat tires, a hole in the gas tank, lost exhaust pipe, and failed brakes in one wheel. It's a good thing he made it back safely, because soon after, Jim met Linda Neal at Minnetonka Community Church.
Jim and Linda were married on September 11, 1971. Linda worked as a nurse at Methodist Hospital, and Jim began work at McQuay as a Sales Engineer Technician. After a series of mergers and transitions, McQuay became Super Radiator Coils. Jim worked his whole 44 year career there, retiring as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer on June 30, 2015. Some career highlights included helping to launch company branches in Richmond, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona, and becoming a finalist for Minnesota CFO of the year in 2014. Jim also pursued further education, achieving his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business from the University of Minnesota in 1977, and his Masters of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in 1985.
Becoming parents was a long prayed-for dream for Jim and Linda, and daughter Christina was born in 1982. Carissa and Jameson followed in 1983 and 1986. He was a devoted dad, praying with his children each night before bed, and becoming involved in his children's hobbies and interests. Jim took each of his children on a backpacking trip in Yosemite the summer they turned 13. Travel and learning were important parts of the Bast family's experience, and they made it to each of the 50 states by the time Christina graduated high school in 2001, learning a lot along the way! The North Shore was also a very special place for the Bast family, especially in the later years.
Jim and Linda's joy was multiplied in 2010 when Jameson married Kristen Jorgensen, and again in 2013 when Carissa married Cory Dyck. Both Kristen and Cory were very dear to Jim and Linda, and they also enjoyed building relationships with the Jorgensen and Dyck families. In 2014 they became grandparents. The last 11 years have been special for Jim, as he made memories with Joelle, Amber, Evelyn, Kara, Theo, Nathan, and Wesley.
Jim's faith in Jesus Christ has been the guiding force in his life. He depended on God through life's up and downs with prayer and faith, and showed Christ's love in many ways. Jim shared with his children that he wanted to "leave a godly legacy by being a role model in faith, prayer, stewardship, and generosity." This has certainly been true. After many years at Minnetonka Community Church, Jim and Linda began attending Wooddale Church in 1984. They were involved in many ministries over the years, and Jim served as an elder for 10 years until 2024. One of their pastors shared, "Jim and Linda's fingerprints are all over Wooddale." After Linda's passing in 2017, during a season of grief and loneliness, Jim felt called to serve those who've also lost a spouse. The last eight years of his life have been dedicated to building a ministry to support widows and widowers, called A Place At The Table (APATT). What began as a once-a-month gathering of 14 grew to twice-a-month meetings with 70-80 people, as well as several smaller social and spiritual opportunities for widows and widowers around the Twin Cities. Jim also sought out widowers in his community, inviting them to join his "Band of Brothers" who meet weekly for breakfast at the American Legion in Chanhassen.
Jim was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Mantle Cell Lymphoma with a TP53 mutation in November 2022. He was told by his doctor that there was no effective treatment for his type of cancer, due to the TP53 mutation and was given months to live. However, there was a medication that could slow the progress of the cancer, which Jim began in January 2023. By April, Jim's cancer had miraculously gone into remission. He praised God for the gift of two extra years of life, which have been full of love, travel, and ministry.
After five years as a widower, a widow at APATT caught Jim's eye. Jim married Marlene Rupp on January 7, 2023. They enjoyed two and a half years together, traveling to New York, Florida, and Germany, spending time with grandchildren, and serving together at APATT. Jim has shared that Marlene brought so much joy to his life, as well bonus relationships with stepchildren Sharalee Walton and David (Kelly) Walton.
Jim's health began to decline in December 2024, and he found out that his cancer had reemerged in January 2025. After many months of treatment, Jim made the decision to go on hospice on June 5, 2025. He spent a week saying goodbye to family and friends, and passed peacefully on June 11. Jim's life is a testament to God's love and faithfulness. While he will be dearly missed by family and friends, Jim has transitioned to eternity, and truly left behind a legacy of faith, prayer, stewardship, and generosity.
Donations to Wooddale Church.
Wooddale Church Live Stream will go live at 10:45 a.m. on August 11, 2025: https:www.wooddale.org/events.