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James “Jim” Howard Bostick, Jr. passed away on Sunday, November 7th, 2021 near Klamath Falls, OR. He was 71 years old and a resident of Klamath Falls.
Jim was born on June 13th, 1950 in Stockton, CA to Dana Marie and James Howard Bostick Sr. He was the eldest of seven siblings and had one sister and five brothers.
Jim lived in Concord, CA until high school. He then lived in Beavercreek, OR and went to Molalla High School. At age 17 he dropped out of school to volunteer for the draft. He joined the Army and did basic training at Fort Lewis in WA. He then went to Germany until he was 18 years old, when he volunteered to go to the Vietnam War. He was never afraid of dying there; he looked at it as a job and did the best he could. He was there for a year. He was injured when his tank hit a landmine, earning him a Purple Heart and giving him lifelong issues with his hearing. He was a proud veteran and his service inspired his younger brothers to want to go into the service as well.
Jim had six children - Scott Chrisman of Boise, ID, Stacey Pizzullo of Little Elm, TX, James Bostick of Mesa, AZ, Daniall Stengel of Elma, WA, Chelsea Heath of Tualatin, OR and Melissa Connelly of Ellensburg, WA. He had ten grandchildren and delighted in them when he was able to see them. He had many struggles in life, but the one constant was the love he had for his family.
He enjoyed learning and was interested in many things. As a young boy he spent a lot of time with his Grandpa Lyions talking, drinking coffee and learning firearm bluing. This is a hobby he was excellent at and enjoyed all his life. He could take an old, burnt up gun and make it look brand new. He made his own ammunition and worked on firearms for others as well.
He had a love for the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and geology. He also loved Harley Davidson motorcycles, science, history, aviation, space, and fantasy and sci-fi films and books. He was a gifted artist and calligrapher. He was a conversationalist and loved talking about ideas with his friends and family.
He worked at a variety of jobs during his lifetime, including carpentry and construction, as an electrician, and for a time at the Livermore National Laboratory. He had a brilliant mind and could make or fix just about anything. He lived in several places in California, Oregon and Washington over the years.
Jim was preceded in death by his father James Howard Bostick, Sr., his mother Dana Marie Murphy, his step-father James Murphy and his brothers William Bostick, Thomas Bostick and Terry Bostick, as well as by his longtime partner Cheryl Morgan. He and Cheryl spent many happy years together before she passed in 2016.
Jim is survived by his children and grandchildren, his wife of many years, Roberta Bostick, his sister Marilyn Brewer and his brothers Timothy Bostick and Joseph Bostick. He also leaves behind his beloved dogs, Tuffy and Four, who were his constant companions over the past several years. He and Roberta were reunited after many years apart, and they spent his last five years together. She calls him the love of her life and her knight in shining armor.
A memorial service will be held at Willamette National Cemetery on Monday, March 21st at 2pm. Please see the Events tab for more details. Remembrances in the form of donations to the Gary Sinise Foundation would be greatly appreciated. They serve by honoring veterans, first responders and their families.
This is a link to his Memorial page via the Willamette National Cemetery with information on his burial location: https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/JAMESHBOSTICKJR/9f02fd?fbclid=IwAR01LxVJEazVU1i8UIDvRBAH_j2-qciF-ET4FZr6WkSKfL7i2cqIrPZb_mU
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