Walking On - James Francis Feehan

James “Jim” Francis Feehan

May 6, 1933 – Dec. 28, 2015

Tribal spouse James “Jim” Francis Feehan, 82, passed away peacefully on the morning of Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, as a result of Alzheimer’s disease at Cherrywood Memorial Care facility in McMinnville, Ore. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, on May 6, 1933.

At the age of 20, Jim traveled by boat to America with dreams of eventually reaching Alaska. Instead, he fell in love with Oregon and settled in Portland, where he worked for the railroad until being drafted into the U.S. Army. After his military service, he began his 40-year career at the Oregonian newspaper. He became an American citizen on St. Patrick’s Day in 1960.

While working at the Oregonian, Jim met co-worker Barbara McKnight at a Portland Buckaroos hockey match. It is lost to history whether the Buckeroos won that night. However, Jim had a victory when Barbara agreed to accompany him to another hockey game. They were married in Portland on April 23, 1970. They had two daughters, Kathleen and Bernadette.

While Jim loved his adopted home in the United States, he also prioritized maintaining a connection with his Irish family, traveling to Ireland regularly. After retiring, Jim and Barbara traveled throughout the West, also taking many trips to visit Bernadette in Hawaii. His first grandson, Noah, was born in 2003 to be followed by a second, Sean, three years later. As he had throughout his life, Jim continued to prioritize his time with family.

He is survived by his loving wife, Barbara Feehan; daughters, Kathleen George and Bernadette Feehan; son-in-law, Rick George; and grandsons, Noah, Sean and Dylan. Jim is remembered as a loving, humorous and life-loving man and an epic storyteller. He was a special husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend.

A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Grand Ronde. Interment in the Grand Ronde Cemetery will follow with a fellowship meal to be held at the Tribe’s Elders Activity Center. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Oregon chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association are appreciated.

Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center is caring for the family. To leave a message or memory for the family, please visit www.dallastribute.com.