James Burgess Reid McIntyre

May 27, 1925 – December 27, 2022

James McIntyre

James “Jim” McIntyre died in the early morning of December 27, 2022, at his home at Blueberry Gardens in Bothell, Washington. He was 97.

Jim was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 27, 1925, to Matthew McIntyre and Janet Kennedy McMillan McIntyre, immigrants from Scotland. He was preceded in death by all his siblings: brothers Matthew, Donald, and Teddy and sister JoanBeth.

Jim joined the Marines at 17 shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor and was sent to the war arena in the Pacific as a member of K Company, 3^rd Battalion, 1^st Marine Regiment, 1^st Marine Division. He fought in the battles of Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleliu before returning to the US on leave. He then served as a drill instructor at Parris Island, South Carolina.

While stationed there, Jim met Betty Lou Edgington, also a Marine, and they were married November 16, 1946, in Michigan. Their family includes three children, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren: daughter Diane Stortz (Ed) of Cincinnati, Ohio; son Christopher McIntyre (Karen) of Vancouver, Washington; and daughter Faye O’Neil (Charles) of Brier, Washington; grandchildren Sheila-Marie (Stortz) Berg, Bethany (Stortz) Williams, Kristen McIntyre, Danny McIntyre, Jordan McGill, and JackRyan O’Neil;  great-grandchildren Solomon Berg, Asher Berg, Bjorn Berg, Reed Williams, Roman Williams, and Emerson Beach, and many nieces and nephews.

Jim and Betty moved their family to the West Coast in the mid 1950s and bought a home in Anaheim, California, where they lived for nearly 20 years. During that time, Jim established his career as an insurance adjuster for MIC, a division of General Motors. He was an active member of Anaheim First Presbyterian Church and served as an elder there. He also coached Little League. The family’s next move was to San Diego, a golfer’s paradise, where Jim fully indulged his passion for golf and, after retirement, worked as a course master at Stoneridge Country Club. In San Diego, Jim and Betty attended Rancho Bernardo Community Church.

Eventually retirement brought the couple to Vancouver, Washington. Jim added bowling to his list of sports passions, and he and Betty had several travel adventures together, including an Alaskan cruise. In Vancouver they attended Columbia Presbyterian Church.

Jim and Betty shared a lifetime love and celebrated nearly 64 years of marriage. After Betty’s death in 2010, Jim left Vancouver to live with his daughter Faye and her family for a few years. He became a resident of Woodland Terrace, an independent adult retirement community in Bothell in 2014. There, Jim enjoyed myriad activities and his friendships with the residents. He was fortunate to meet Mary Fleming, his beloved best friend until his passing. Jim spent his last year living at nearby Blueberry Gardens, an adult family home.

An avid reader, Jim was always interested in people and events and could talk easily with anyone. He could be found most mornings with a cup of coffee and the pages of the local newspaper. He enjoyed golf and bowling well into his last decade and proudly participated in an Honor Flight from Seattle to Washington, DC, in 2015.

The family plans to gather for a private burial service in the spring of 2023. Memorial gifts in Jim’s honor may be made to The Salvation Army.

Jim loved his family and was proud of each of their accomplishments. We know he is still cheering us on!