James Stevenson

1928 - 2022

James Stevenson
December 14, 1928 - March 31, 2022
Vancouver, Washington - James Andrew Stevenson, 93, passed away March 31, 2022, in Vancouver, WA. Jim was born in Montesano, WA at a midwife's home. He was the son of Robert & Eunice (Hagemeyer) Stevenson. He had one sibling, his sister, Barbara. They lived in the Simpson Timber Company's logging camps until Jim went to Junior High School in Tacoma and moved there. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1947, along with his future wife, Dorothy Lorent.
After they wed in 1948, Jim and Dorothy bought a home in Fircrest and started their family. First came James Robert, followed by Diane Louise, who arrived on Jimmy's 1st birthday. Not 16 months went by before they welcomed Scott Alexander. They were married for 73 years.
Jim loved to bowl, he and some of his friends formed the so-called Lincoln High "Whiz Kids". Earl Johnson, Frank Dal Santo, Gary Walton, Urban Schmidt, and Howie Pagel were high school students talented enough to defeat most of the adult teams in Tacoma and throughout the Northwest.
Jim became a star in Tacoma, the PNW, and along the West Coast. He also bowled on the Professional Bowlers Association's national tour for several years. Jim, who rolled nine 300 games and had a high series of 792, had numerous West Coast tournament titles to his credit. He was owner of three local bowling alleys – Pacific, Chalet, and Lincoln Lanes, for more than 44 years. A member of the Tacoma and NIBC Halls of Fame, Jim started several bowling-related groups including Junior Travel League, Tacoma Masters, NW Bowlers Association and WHBA.
His individual accomplishments rank with some of the best bowlers to come out of Pierce County. Jim was named to the Tacoma All-Star Team nine times, and to the Seattle All-Star Team twice, and his high single-season average of 219 is the best in Washington state. He is a member of the Tacoma and NIBC Halls of Fame.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Barbara Elaine. Jim leaves behind his sweet wife, Dorothy, sons Jim (Elma), Scott (Hallie), and daughter, Diane (Craig), 5 grandchildren, Kara, Michael, Krissy, Andrew, and Christian, as well as 3 great grandchildren, Olivia, James, and Hailey, brother-in-law, Gary Bennett and nieces and nephews, and many cousins.
We will be having a memorial at the Tacoma Elks 174 on Saturday, April 9th at 1pm, with a reception following in the Grand Lodge, at 2013 So. Cedar St. Tacoma, WA. Please join us and bring your memories! In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to SMART, a junior bowling scholarship fund. Please write checks the SSUSBC, 4517 South M Street, Tacoma, WA 98418. In the notation area, write Jim Stevenson.