James Matthew Steele

James Matthew Steele, 63, of Salem, Oregon, passed away on August 10th, 2025. Born September 21, 1961, in Pampa, Texas, James was the youngest child of Kenneth E. Steele and Edna Jenell (Duncan) Steele.

James’s early years were marked by loss and hardship. After his family relocated to Oregon, his mother sadly passed away from an aggressive brain cancer when he was just two years old. His father, struggling with grief, turned to alcohol, and remarried his second wife only a year later.

Life after that was anything but easy. Under the care of their stepmother James and his siblings endured years of emotional and physical neglect. As the youngest of five siblings, James watched as one-by-one each of his siblings left their home. His eldest brother (Larry) married and left, his brother (Timothy) left to join the Army, his sister (Linda) went to live with their paternal grandmother (Betty), and his sister (Cynthia) was taken in by the pastor of their church.

James grew up fast, learning early how to survive and make his own way. Around age (10), James started running away from home and was eventually placed in foster care, where he repeatedly got into trouble with the law. For many years his siblings never really knew what had happened to James, but around age (17) he was reconnected with his sister (Cynthia) and she quickly petitioned the court to allow her to foster him.

From there, James began to carve out his own life. In high school, James met Belinda J. Marshall, and at just (16) and (18), they became parents to their first daughter, Tisha. They later married on August 23, 1981, and during their marriage, they would go on to parent six children: Tisha (Steele) Sleiter, Matthew Steele, Andrew Steele, Jonathon Steele, Dylan Steele, and Angelica Steele. Having experienced such a traumatic upbringing and having been in foster care himself, James always held a warm heart and deep connection with the children he welcomed into his home.

James never graduated from high school. He served a brief two years in the Army while living in Augusta, Georgia and then built a career doing what he loved most—working on cars. For decades, he made a living (and a lot of friends) as an automotive body technician. Although he was color blind, he was a creative artist who had a rare talent for graphics and painting. He took great pride in the work that he accomplished and proudly took his oldest children to the drag races on weekends to see the dragsters, and funny cars he designed the graphics for and painted. James’ two claims to fame in his profession was painting the Magnum PI helicopter, and the Budweiser Dragster; Both of which he proudly displayed pictures of in his garage toolbox for many years.

Though James and Belinda divorced in 2012, he later found a devoted partner in Stacey Snodgrass, with whom he shared the remaining years of his life with. James was known to be a true kid at heart for his entire life and loved cartoons so much, that his children, would repeatedly beg him to watch “anything else “on Saturday mornings. One of James’ favorite shows was “The Dinosaurs” as he felt a kinship to baby Sinclair. One of his favorite sayings from the show was “I’m the baby gotta love me” which he would repeatedly say to his oldest brother (Larry) throughout their adult relationship.

Although James struggled with his health from an early age, his home remained full of life, laughter, (inappropriate humor) and animals. Over the years he had many beloved cats and wiener dogs, whom he spoiled like his own children. He had a gift for turning ordinary moments into humor, and would often sketch cartoons into cards, on grocery lists, and even chore requests for his kids.

In later years, you were guaranteed to find James decked out in a Hawaiian shirt, sipping a Diet Coke, and manning the grill or mowing the lawn with golf-course precision, but his garage (where he repaired and restored cars) always remained his sanctuary.

James is survived by his children, Tisha, Matthew, Andrew, Jonathon, Dylan, and Angelica; his grandchildren, Odessa, Eowyn, Markus, Enoch, Lukus, Viola, Syver, Paxton, Cooper Ryan, and Cooper Colton; his great-grandson, George; his sister Cynthia; and his partner, Stacey.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Edna; his siblings Melanie, Larry, Timothy, and Linda; his grandchildren Chandler and Piper; and many others who will be waiting to welcome him home.

James’s life wasn’t easy, but he lived it on his own terms—with creativity, grit, love, and a whole lot of humor.

In Lieu of Flowers please consider donating to: https://gofund.me/32d94904

Which will go towards James’ final expenses. A memorial tribute will be scheduled for sometime in September.