James Rhoton

James Rhoton

With sadness, we share the passing of beloved husband, dad, grandpa and friend, James Rhoton. Jim, of Monroe, WA, passed away peacefully on June 16, 2026 at the age of 78.

James Sheldon Rhoton was born on December 2, 1947, in Sunnyside, WA, to Sheldon and Nora Rhoton and spent his formative years in Yakima, WA. Jim moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, where he earned a degree in mathematics. With his degree, he worked hard to build a business that has sustained two generations.

Jim had a life-long appreciation to many things that brought him joy.  As a master gardener, you could find Jim cultivating and caring for his garden, carefully categorizing and cataloging the many varietals of dahlias, irises, lilies and roses that adorned the garden. On any given Sunday, Jim would be cheering on his treasured Seattle Seahawks. Saturdays, he bled purple and gold. A truly passionate sports fan, the mention of Walter Payton would bring a tear to his eye. During the spring and summer months, he split his dedication between baseball, NASCAR and Indycar racing. Though no trained chef, Jim knew his way around a sandwich – his mathematician mind calculating the thousands of combinations to create the best lunch for each and every day.

Jim loved to capture all of life’s great moments from behind the lens of a camera. From travels of Alaska to Mexico (and everywhere in between), to beautiful family moments, breathtaking vistas and the sweetness of the beloved family pets, their American Eskimo dogs, all were captured by Jim’s photographic eye.

Though Jim was passionate about many things, it was his 38 year marriage to Marcia that brought him the most joy. Throughout their long marriage, they built a family and a home, travelled to the places they loved, danced, cheered on their favorite teams and made countless memories. Marcia’s care and love provided Jim comfort and warmth when he needed it most.

In addition to Marcia, Jim is survived by children, Aaron, Mike (Liz), and Elliot (Zak) and grandchildren, Sam and Joe. Jim was proceeded in death by his parents, Sheldon and Nora, and his brother, Denny.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 3-5:00pm at The Waltz Building, 116 Avenue B, Snohomish, WA 98290.

To honor Jim, please cuddle your fur-babies and, if you can, donate to your local animal shelter.