Willard "Jim" Peasha

Willard “Jim” Peasha Jr., 70, unexpectedly passed away after a short battle with a re-occurrence of cancer on Friday, Aug. 28, 2015 in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. He was born to Willard James Peasha Sr. and Belva Mae Frisbee on Dec. 4, 1944 in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Arizona. Jim joined the NAVY in 1962 and toured for four and a half years during the Vietnam War. Jim became an LAPD police officer in 1966, where he met and married his wife, Sherry, of forty four years. After twenty two years of duty, he decided to retire because he wanted to raise his five year-old twins in what he believed to be God’s country – Sandpoint, Idaho, a place he and his wife had visited on many a camping trip. In Sandpoint, he became a Bonner County Sheriff’s deputy, which included being the DARE officer in the local schools – a job he absolutely loved. He retired from the Sherriff’s Department after twenty two years in 2009. He was also an elected Republican Precinct Committeeman for many years because of his love of politics, and was an active letter-writer to the Daily Bee about causes he truly cared about. Jim was a long-standing member of the First Christian Church and was a great witness for the Lord, making it his job to always make people feel welcome. He never met a stranger. It was at church he put his love of cooking to good use, cooking for many activities and church functions. He loved to volunteer in a security capacity – in light of the country’s current events, the safety of his friends and family was very important to him. Besides his passion for cooking, he enjoyed telling stories, reading about history especially how it applied to the bible, trivia, and crossword puzzles. He also loved music and his animals and was proud of his children. He was always good for a hug and an anecdote, and elderly women, animals, and children sought him out. He is survived by his wife, Sherry, daughter, Megan, son, Martin, son, Harry, sister, Paula, half-brother, Craig, and grandson, Quinlan. A graveside service will be held Thursday, Sept. 3 at the Pack River Cemetery at 10am. Afterwards, a memorial service will be held at the First Christian Church at 1pm. Reception to follow. Donations in memoriam can be made to the National MS Society, a cause close to Jim’s heart as his son-in-law, Chris, has multiple sclerosis, and his daughter works for the National MS Society. Please send donations to 200 12th Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55415.