James Leigh Withrow

December 9, 1931 - March 1, 2022

SERVICE, Memorial service, Apr, 27 2022, 1:00p.m.

McHenry Funeral Home

Jim Withrow passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 1, 2022 with his daughter Amby and son in-law Kevin by his side in Hurricane, Utah after a 3 year battle with severe Dementia.

Jim was born on Dec. 9, 1931 in Waterloo, Iowa, to Harold C. Withrow Sr. and Mata Bentroth Withrow. He was the sixth of seven children and the youngest boy. The family left Iowa in 1936, moved to Southern California, and settled in Van Nuys. He grew up playing sports, fishing, camping, and delivering newspapers. Jim graduated from Van Nuys High School in 1951 and received a football scholarship to Oregon State University. He married his high school sweetheart, Jeri Thornton, and moved to Corvallis where they lived for 65 years.

After he finished his bachelor degree from OSU, he spent the next two years as an officer in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict stationed in Japan. Upon discharge from the Air Force, Jim headed back to OSU to get his masters degree. Upon completion of his schooling, he took a job at Corvallis High School in 1960 where he taught PE, Health, and Drivers Education. A year later, their only child was born, a daughter named Amby Lynn. Jim and Jeri traded city life for a beautiful small farm 12 miles southwest of Corvallis. They loved country living where they raised cattle, Christmas trees, walnuts, fruits and vegetables, and beautiful floral gardens. After 30 years of teaching and 20 years of coaching (baseball, track & field, cross country, golf), Jim retired from CHS. Jim and Jeri traveled to all seven continents, all 50 states, and to every National Park.

Jim loved to fish, hunt, camp, cross country ski, and garden. He was inducted to the OSU Hall of Fame as a member of the 1952 baseball team which went to the College World Series. He was an active member of the Lutheran church in Oregon and Utah. In 2014, Jim and Jeri moved to Utah so Amby could better care for them. Jeri passed away in 2016, and Jim continued to live with his daughter Amby and son in-law Kevin for the next four years. He spent his last three years at The Haven Memory Care Facility minutes from his daughter's house. Jim enjoyed being a grandpa and "great grampy" during those final years. He was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, grandpa, great grandpa, teacher, coach, friend and Christian. He loved the Lord, his family, and his friends dearly. His beautiful smile and big blue eyes will be missed by all. He remained a die hard OSU Beaver and CHS Spartan fan to the end.

Jim was preceded in death by his beloved wife Jeri; his siblings (Dick, Helen, Harold Jr., Maxine, Bill, & Patty) and his parents. He leaves behind his daughter Amby and Kevin Pedersen; his granddaughter Morgan and David Meyers and their children, Madeline, Emmaline and Cassidy, and his other granddaughter Stacia and Jake Edmonds and their children, Cohen and Keller. Jim will be interned at Oaklawn Cemetery next to his wife Jeri.

There will be a Memorial Service on April 27, 2022 at 1 p.m. at McHenry Funeral Home. A zoom link is also available by sending your email to morganmeyers87@gmail.com. The family asks in lieu of flowers that donations be made in Jim's name to the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org) or to the OSU Foundation.

The family sends its heartfelt gratitude to the staff of The Haven at Sky Mountain Assisted Living & Memory Care in Hurricane, Utah, and to Suntree Home Health & Hospice of St. George, Utah, for their tender loving care of Jim and his family.

 

Published by Corvallis Gazette-Times from Apr. 23 to Apr. 24, 2022.