James F. “Jim” Egan, a man whose life traced the tumultuous arcs of the 20th century with grit, persistence, and a restless yearning for purpose, passed away peacefully on May 28, 2025, in Auburn, California. He was 96 years old.

Born on August 5, 1928, in St. Edward, Nebraska, to Clarence E. Egan and Vera Ruth (Austin) Egan, Jim came into the world during a time of hardship—years of agricultural collapse, debt, and economic instability that laid the groundwork for the Great Depression. His early years were marked by movement and survival as the Egan family made their way from Nebraska to Kansas, to Colorado, and back again before settling in Oregon in 1936.

By the time Jim was eight, the family had planted roots in Albany, and later in Tangent, Oregon. These formative years were steeped in the challenges of displacement and want—conditions that left lasting imprints on Jim’s sense of self and his relationships with others. Though he sometimes struggled to connect in traditional ways, those who knew him understood that beneath a sometimes gruff or distant demeanor was a man shaped by a world that had asked much of him from the start.

Jim left high school during his sophomore year and joined the Army Air Corps in 1945, serving as a radio operator for the 315 th Bombardment Wing on the island of Guam in the wake of World War II. His time on Guan sparked a lifelong interest in shortwave radio operation. In the military, he also found outlets for his restlessness and intensity, stepping into the ring in "smoker" boxing matches where young men released the smoke of their inner turmoil. He briefly boxed professionally and remained proud of his time in the service, where he also met his first wife, Mae Villines, whom he married in 1948. For a time, Jim worked at a Ford dealership in Merced, California and drove for their racing team.

The couple returned to Oregon in 1951, where Jim began work at U.S. Plywood in Lebanon and later earned a commission as the Postmaster of Tangent in 1959. That same year, he and Mae purchased the Tangent Store, which Mae ran while Jim served the community in the Post Office. Together they had three children—Deborah, Denise, and James.

Jim was a man of many interests and unexpected dimensions. In 1960, he was among the original founders of the Tangent Fire Department—an effort that reflected his deep commitment to community. A photograph of Jim alongside the department’s first firefighters still hangs on the wall of the Tangent Fire Department, a testament to that enduring legacy.

Between 1963 and 1966, Jim was part of a crew of inspired men who were instrumental in the construction of the first dedicated Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Albany, Oregon. He worked on fundraising and provided much of the excavation and metal work for the project, along with carpentry. It was work that demanded skill, sweat, and faith—and Jim gave all three with determination. He remained a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints throughout his adult life.

A few years later, Jim turned his gaze skyward. He began pilot training in 1966 and, through sheer persistence and countless hours in the cockpit, earned his commercial pilot certification along with an instrument (IFR) rating. Flying became both a vocation and a passion. In 1971, with the support of local investors, he founded Lebanon Air Service—offering flight instruction and charter services in the Willamette Valley. He ran the business for several years before selling his interest in 1974.

Jim's journey led him through multiple chapters: moves to Los Angeles, ventures in postal management, and later, the founding of a small trucking company that grew steadily under his direction. He was married five times throughout his life, and though each relationship brought its own complexities, Jim continued to search for companionship and connection.

With his third wife, Yu-Mei Tang, Jim welcomed three more children—Cliff, Karen, and Elle—and in the 1980s, his new family moved with him to a ranch in Oak Run, California. Eventually, Jim settled on a homestead in Millville, where he embraced a dream that had long lived within him: cattle ranching. It was hard work, but it was honest work, and it gave him a sense of quiet pride.

Though life often asked more of Jim than he could give emotionally, he never hesitated to show up for family when he could—offering support, labor, or resources in the ways he knew how. For all the hurdles he faced internally, he tried. He truly tried. His effort, though not always easily understood, was real. His children, grandchildren, and the many who knew him saw the ways he cared even when the words didn’t always come.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Vera; his brothers, Ed, Merle, Bob, and Dick; his infant sister, Marion Elizabeth; his daughter, Karen; and his wife Darnell. He is survived by his children Debbie Egan, Dee Dee Strombeck (Paul), James C. “Jim” Egan (Michelle), Cliff Egan (Alex), and Elle Beyer (Lon), along with many grandchildren, great- grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Each of those who survive Jim would like to thank his daughter, Elle, for the years of care and comfort that she provided to her dad.

A brief graveside ceremony for immediate family will be held on June 28. A remembrance gathering will take place in the Albany, Oregon area in July.

Jim's life was not without struggle, but it was full of motion, effort, and an enduring sense of duty. He was a man who bore the weight of a turbulent century on his shoulders, and through all the change, he continued forward. In that persistence, there was something quietly heroic.

May he rest in peace.