James Musich

James Calvin Musich, who had the heart of a warrior and the soul of a poet, has fought
his last battle. He passed away on Tuesday, October 18th, 2022 in Duluth, MN shortly after a
newly diagnosed terminal illness. He was born on Sunday, November 16th, 1947 in Hibbing,
MN to Helen and Joseph Musich. He spent part of his childhood in Kitzville, MN before his
family moved to the Greenhaven area in Hibbing. In 1962, Jim took off on an adventure with
fellow explorer scouts, riding their bicycles 1,600 miles from Hibbing to Seattle, Washington for
the 1962 World’s Fair. It took them sixteen days and he was very proud of his accomplishment.
He was a lover of the outdoors which included hunting and fishing with his dad. Jim
begrudgingly graduated from the Hibbing High School in 1967 believing more in the value of
informal education rather than formal education. He was an independent thinker and he marched
to the beat of his own drum. Because of the impending military draft, Jim chose to enlist in the
Army. He entered the Army in November of 1967. He completed basic training at Fort Leonard
Wood in Missouri. He received advanced infantry training at Fort Polk in Louisiana. In May of
1968, he was sent to Vietnam. He proudly served with the 1st & 28th Infantry, Black Lions. One
week after returning home from Vietnam in May of 1969, he met the love of his life, DiAnn.
With six months of military service remaining, he was sent to Fort Sill in Oklahoma. After
completing his military service in November of 1969, Jim proposed to DiAnn in December. They
were married in September of 1970. Jim and DiAnn shared fifty two years of life and love
together. Their daughter, Errin, was born in February of 1974 and their son, James, was born in
October of 1983. Jim worked as a heavy equipment operator for St. Louis County for thirty two
years. He was also a proud and loving “Bumpa”. His three grandchildren always knew that, if

they asked Bumpa for something, the answer would always be “sure”. He will always be loved,
missed and will forever be in our hearts.
He was devoted to his wife DiAnn, his daughter Errin (son-in-law Travis Burgess), his
son Jim, and his three grandchildren, Chase Musich, Aria Burgess and Jareth Musich. He is also
survived by his brother Joe (Mary) Musich and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in
death by his father Joseph T. Musich, his mother Helen (Selinski) Musich, his grandparents,
many aunts and uncles and his best buddy in Vietnam, Richard Russom, who passed in July of
2022.
A “Gathering of Family and Friends” will be held on Thursday, October 27th from 6:30
pm to 8:30 pm at Dougherty’s Funeral Home in Hibbing, MN. A private burial/committal service
will be held at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery