James Hazen Pingree

James (Jim) Hazen Pingree passed away on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at the age of 90, surrounded by his family. He truly exemplified what it means to be a true follower and disciple of Jesus Christ. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, doctor, and friend who lived a life full of love, light, and leadership.

Part of what made Jim extraordinary is that he wholeheartedly applied his own special acronym, “L-O-V-E,” to every relationship he had: Listen, Overlook weaknesses, Voice approval, and go the Extra mile. Following this simple, yet powerful formula, Jim made everyone in his life feel seen, heard, and unconditionally loved.

Jim was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 15, 1934. He was the second of two children born to James Hooper Pingree and Lucile Furer. His was an idyllic childhood growing up in Southern California. He enjoyed many close relationships with cousins and extended family members who lived nearby. He spent weeks at a time on Catalina Island, soaking up the sun and savoring his youthful freedom. He worked as a busser at the iconic El Cholo Restaurant in LA and bragged about getting to eat the extra tortillas left on the table, so long as they did not have lipstick on them. When the circus came to town, he and his friends were thrilled to earn free tickets in exchange for a day's work of pounding tent stakes into the ground. He graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1952, where he was senior class president and voted the “most outstanding male graduate” of his class. Even at age 90, he could still sing his high school fight song word for word and in perfect tune.

After high school, Jim set off for Stanford University. His tuition was $660 per year; a stunning fact he enjoyed sharing. Jim completed his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude as a pre-med student. He was then accepted into the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he was elected student body president his senior year. To say that Jim loved his time at Stanford would be a huge understatement. While he was never fond of the school’s mascot change to a “dumb tree”, he forever remained a loyal Cardinal fan.

In his first year of medical residency, Jim joined the National Guard. He served as battalion surgeon for two years and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring in the mid-1970s. He especially enjoyed his time serving in the 144th Evacuation Hospital, where he trained enlisted men to be scrub technicians. He claimed he was always happy to join the enlisted men eating in the cafeteria rather than sitting with the “big shots” at the officers’ table.

At age 27, after completing a one-year medical internship in Seattle, Washington, and a two-year family practice residency in Santa Rosa, California, Jim got the distinct impression that he needed to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints. Despite reservations his bishop and stake president had about his age, Jim persisted in submitting his mission papers. An official response came back, and he was advised to serve as a local stake missionary. Undeterred, Jim did the only thing he thought he could; he wrote a letter to the prophet, President David O. McKay. Jim described his deep desire to serve a proselyting mission and included a detailed list of pros and cons. His answer arrived a short time later as an official full-time mission call to the Scottish Mission.

Once in Scotland, Jim’s experience and maturity were instantly evident. He was promptly designated mission physician. Within six months, he was called into the mission presidency, and later, had the unusual opportunity to serve as the acting mission president for a short time. The big joke in the mission was that Jim was never made a senior companion. The friendships that Jim formed in Scotland were lifelong. Upon returning home, Jim and his mission friends formed a group they called Clan Caledonia. This group of former missionaries has been meeting together monthly for over 50 years, and they remain the closest of friends.

Of all the friendships Jim formed while serving in Scotland, none was more significant than the one he formed with a sister missionary, Janice Barben. Their paths crossed frequently as they served in the mission home together. Once home, their first date was to the Scottish mission reunion in October 1964. They were married and sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on November 5, 1965. Jim adored Janice, and theirs was an enduring, eternal kind of love. They enjoyed going to Jim’s medical conferences together, spending time at their cabin in Midway, and traveling to the Mediterranean for a much-anticipated tour of the Holy Land. Heartbreakingly, just days before their 27th wedding anniversary, Janice passed away from cancer. Jim later said that it was his greatest privilege to care for his wife while she was sick. He remained a widower for 33 years. He was once asked if he had any regrets in his life. He responded that he got all the big things right, especially by marrying Janice, because once she was in his life, everything else fell beautifully into place.

Jim and Janice were blessed with five wonderful children. James (Patrycja Wojtas), Stephen (Jennie Watson), Mark (Kristin Gardner), Elizabeth (Scott Odle), and Rebecca (Ryan Janzen) were the center of their lives. Jim was an extraordinary father. He was intimately involved in all that his children did and always encouraged them towards excellence. He especially loved to travel with them. Jim relished taking the boys to pick up their brothers from missions in Japan and Russia and was honored to take the girls to Scotland and England to show them where their story began. He spent countless hours curating meaningful and enduring relationships with each of his children, and later, each of his children’s spouses, and 16 grandchildren.

Even as the family expanded and grew, the tradition of family travel continued, blossoming into an adored annual adventure. Each year, Jim looked forward to spending a week with his entire family hanging out on the beach with his notoriously ugly brown travel bag full of expired sunscreen, snorkeling with frozen peas in hand to throw at unsuspecting grandchildren who squealed in delight as fish swarmed, trying to convince old and new family members that the fish in Catalina really do fly, and engaging in ridiculously competitive games of “Pingree-rules” UNO.

While Jim’s top priority was always his family, he also excelled in his career as a doctor. After his mission, he was accepted into a general surgery residency at the University of Utah School of Medicine, where he was appointed chief resident in his last year. He then went into private general surgery practice in Murray for 39 years, operating primarily at the former Cottonwood Hospital. His accomplishments include: Clinical Instructor at the University of Utah School of Medicine; Chief of Staff at Cottonwood Hospital; Board of Governors for the Stanford University School of Medicine Alumni Association; and Chairman of Surgical Services in the Missionary Department for the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints - a position he held for 40 years before being released at the age of 89.

Jim was a steadfast member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a deeply devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. To be around Jim was to feel unconditionally loved and accepted. This was his gift, and he shared it generously. He served faithfully as the bishop of the Holladay 12th Ward for eight years before being called to serve as the stake president of the Mount Olympus North Stake for ten years. While serving as bishop, 74 missionaries from his ward entered the mission field, and while serving as stake president, he was honored to set apart 316 missionaries. For ten years, he visited the Provo Missionary Training Center each month to teach missionaries safe health habits to follow when living abroad. Missionary work was his passion, and the ripple effects of his tireless service are immense. He also served for five years as a regional representative, spent decades as a representative for the church on the Salt Lake Area Public Affairs Council, and traveled extensively with the Missionary Department Medical Advisory Committee to places like Sri Lanka, Peru, India, Trinidad, and Hong Kong.

While all these callings were important to Jim, he was never happier than when serving in the young men’s program. In 1965, Jim’s first calling in the Holladay 12th Ward was as Priest Quorum Advisor – a role he seemed destined for, as his ability to help positively shape the lives of hundreds of young men remains legendary. For over fifty years, he called each of them on their birthdays and, until they got married and it was their “wife’s responsibility”, generously treated them to birthday dinners at the restaurant of their choosing. His list of young men to call on their birthdays eventually grew to more than 200, and he rarely missed. Fittingly, the final calling Jim held in the Holladay 12th Ward (now renamed the Olympus Hills Ward) was that of Priest Quorum Advisor – a calling he held for nearly two decades before being released at the age of 89. That is just how remarkable Jim’s ability to “L-O-V-E” everyone remained until the very end.

A viewing will be held on Friday, August 22, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 23, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Mount Olympus Stake Center (4176 South Adonis Dr., Salt Lake City, Utah). The funeral will follow at 11:00 a.m.

Services will be live-streamed and available for delayed viewing. The link is provided below.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider donating to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionary fund.