James "Jim" Smith

Born on February 8, 1937, in Spokane, WA, to parents Donald and Mary Smith, Jim passed away on April 22, 2026, in Bellingham, WA.

Jim grew up on Spokane’s South Hill, attended Wilson Grade School and Lewis and Clark High School, graduating in 1955. At LC, Jim played baseball, which remained a lifelong interest. He particularly loved the Brooklyn Dodgers and enjoyed reading the history of that team.

Jim’s paternal and maternal grandparents established homesteads in Whitman County, and during vacations he worked on the farms during harvest. Palouse Country farm history also remained a lifelong interest.

After completing ROTC, he attended WSU and graduated from Eastern Washington University with a major in business. He served in the military as First Lieutenant, stationed at Fort Ord in Monterey. Following his discharge, he began working for Fireman’s Fund Insurance and remained with the company his entire career before retiring early at 55 in 1992. He and Claudia moved back to Spokane where he enjoyed working at Miller’s Hardware as well as visiting Comstock and Manito parks where he had so many cherished childhood memories. They then moved to Bellingham to be near their daughters and grandsons.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents Donald Boyd Smith and Mary Irene (Cole) Smith.

Jim is survived by his wife, Claudia Kaye (Wilson) Smith; sister, Carol (Smith) McKinley (Olympia); his daughters, Cheryl (Smith) Daugherty and Glenda Smith; son-in-law Patrick Daugherty; and grandsons, Gabriel and Tobias Smith.

Jim was a kind, caring, and supportive husband, father, grandfather, and brother, and is dearly missed. Jim will be remembered for his quiet humor, love of baseball, and history.

He will be laid to rest at Fairmount Memorial Park in Spokane, WA.