James "Jim" Rees

James Rees was born in Portland, Oregon on August 19, 1934, to Harry and Maxine Rees. The older brother to two sisters (Shirley and Mary Jo), Jim, as he was commonly known, attended St. Rose for 1st and 2nd grade before the family moved to E Burnside and joined the All Saints parish. There, he finished grade school before becoming a proud Ram at Central Catholic High School. While another move took his family to Seattle where he finished high school, he always loved Central Catholic and the lifelong friends he made there. Jim made it a priority to send his 3 sons there, working numerous jobs to ensure it. He enjoyed going back to Central and All Saints from time to time taking in sporting events and attending Grandfriend’s Day gatherings.

When the Korean War began, Jim left college at the University of Portland and enlisted in the Army. Always the patriot, it was his duty to serve and he would have gladly died for his country. He was stationed in Japan during the war as a radio operator. Following his service in the Army, he was recruited to work for the CIA. He spent the majority of that time in Cypress, but also was stationed in Iran, Kuwait, and Lebanon. Jim was a quiet and stoic man, who rarely admitted to feeling pain or discomfort. His family often jokes that the CIA removed all of his nerves.

When Jim returned from the service, he spent some time in Oregon before traveling to Washington D.C. with his friend, Jim Perry, to meet up with Jim’s brother, Tom. It was in D.C. where he met the love of his life, Sharen DuBois. After proposing multiple times Jim and Sharen were finally married on May 22, 1965, in Sharen’s hometown of Bradford, PA. Knowing he wanted to raise his family in Portland, soon after their first son Doug was born, he moved his young family back home and welcomed 2 more sons, Bob and Brad.

Jim was an avid sports fan. He loved his Washington Redskins, Portland Trailblazers, and LA Dodgers. He also loved the local sports teams like the Winterhawks, Timbers, and Thorns, as well as the local college teams like the Pilots, Beavers and Ducks. It was rare indeed to not see a sporting event on the TV when Jim was around.

Although he would never tell you, Jim was very generous to the many charities that he came across. Thoughtful and kind, he delighted in giving his grandchildren ten one-dollar coins in a card for every holiday you can think of. Jim had been a member of The Madeleine Parish for over 50 years. Jim’s faith was important to him, making sure to go to Mass even on vacation in places far away. When COVID hit he faithfully attended Mass online.

Jim is survived by his wife Sharen, sons Doug (Diana), Bob (Nancy), and Brad (Marci), and grandchildren Sidney, Christian, Ellie, and Katri.