Obituary for James Edwards Zadra
James Edwards Zadra
James Edwards Zadra, 67, passed away on March 8 at his home in Polson with friends and family by his side. He was born Aug. 9, 1947 in Missoula. He and his four sisters grew up in Missoula, Great Falls, and Sunburst, Mont., and later in Davis, Calif., where he graduated from high school in 1965. It was a free-range childhood full of independent adventure, especially on the high plains of northern Montana. After a year of college, Jim joined the Air Force and served his country as a weather specialist during the Vietnam War. He attained the rank of Sergeant before returning to college, where he graduated with a BS degree in Industrial Arts from California State University, Chico. He spent his career as a carpenter and independent contractor and was a skilled builder as well as a mechanic.
Family and friends were always impressed with his intellect and memory, his lifelong quest to learn and grow, and his considerable knowledge and interest in politics and current events. As a young man he played football and swam in high school, surfed in California, and spent summers on Flathead Lake, where he skied and boated and helped his father build the family cabin near Rocky Point. In his 20s he spent several summers working and traveling with a carnival, working at local fairs and events throughout Northern California with his sister, Barbara. He had many adventures with friends, especially those from his college days in Chico, traveling throughout California, Nevada, and Baja, Mexico, on their motorcycles. He had a life-long appreciation of motorcycles, woodworking tools, and pretty women.
In the early 1990s Jim returned to Montana, and called Missoula, and later Polson, home. He lived for years in an Airstream, which he parked in many interesting places, including inside his woodworking shop, on a California airfield, and in various locations on beautiful Flathead Lake. After a serious auto accident over a decade ago, he rode a golf cart around Polson, at times to the chagrin of local law enforcement, as he drove down Highway 93, across the bridge and around Polson, engaging with friends and the life of the community. During his more than ten-year cancer battle, Jim faced his many health challenges with remarkable courage, dignity, and kindness to his health care providers. He was always innovative in figuring out ways to remain independent, building a wheelchair-accessible wood shop, adapting his golf carts to winter road conditions and even building his own ankle brace.
From his sometimes rugged appearance, one might not know what a kind and good-hearted man he was, with a new set of crayons in his desk drawer for his niece or a tennis ball in his golf cart for a family member’s dog. He particularly loved and took delight in his nieces and nephews, Tirzah, Faith, Zak, Ben, Jesse, Sarah, Alec, and Lucas, and his honorary nephews, Lachlan, Malloy, and Ever. He was a key figure in his cancer support group, providing friendship to all and at times keeping the group together. After years of cancer treatments, he hated hospitals, but loved and appreciated his nurses and caregivers.
Jim was preceded in death by his mother, Natha Parris Kimble, his sisters, Rosanne White and Laureen Zadra, and his nephew, Zak Kaercher. He is survived by his father, Charles Zadra (Nancy), siblings Barbara Zadra (Kent Bradford), Patty Kaercher (Dale), Romy Loran (James), and Edward LeClaire (Laura Milner), his Aunt Rose Parris and her children, Krista, Miles, Mitzi, Robbie and Elise, and by his Zadra cousins, Jody Sprunk (Wes), Cheryl Baldwin (Carl), and Mary Pat Love (Buck). He is also survived by members of his cancer support group, especially Linda and Dan Roberts, all wonderful friends who became his Polson family.
A gathering to remember and celebrate Jim will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 28, at the Polson Senior Center, 504 3rd Avenue East in Polson. A light lunch will be served. Please bring your memories and favorite stories to share.
Memorial donations may be made to Cheerful Hearts or the Area VI Agency on Aging, both in Polson, or to Lake County Home Options in Ronan, all of whom provided critical and caring services to Jim in the last year of his life. His family is grateful for the wonderful people from these organizations and for his entire circle of friends and those who loved and cared for him in many ways in sickness and in health.
Long may you ride, Jimmy Z.