James "Lee" Wilcox

James “Lee” Wilcox, Jan. 24, 1924 – Sept. 10, 2019. Lee was born in Alger, Mont. to Roy and Mary Wilcox. He was the youngest of three sons.

In 1942, at the age of 18, he joined the Boiler Makers and Iron Ship Builders Union and worked in the Seattle shipyards for one year. He spent the next few years at various mechanic and laborer jobs, some with his brother John in Montana. In 1950, he joined the Operating Engineers Union and worked as a heavy-duty equipment mechanic until his retirement in 1986.

He married Beverly Gilliam on June 28, 1952, in Four Lakes, Wash. where they raised five children — Gayle, Jim, Laurie, David and Paul (1960-2012). After retirement, he and Bev traveled the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and full-time in their RV for 10 years. They returned to Spokane in 2006 where they lived until Bev’s death in 2015. He and Bev loved traveling in their RV across the U.S. and Canada, eventually spending 10 years in Arizona where they enjoyed their rock collecting hobby.

Lee especially loved digging for fire opals and was skilled at cutting and polishing them and creating beautiful jewelry, many pieces of which are treasured by family and friends. He taught his children and grandchildren to love the outdoors, taking them traveling, camping and fly fishing. We cherish memories of him fishing the Chewack river, hiking the five miles to the beaver dam, eating Snickers and standing in chest-deep water, fishing there all day until he caught his limit or two!

The grandchildren remember special trips with grandpa and grandma in the RV that always included many stops for ice cream. He was a man who believed in and loved his God. He was active in every church he attended, most recently Four Lakes Community Church and Spokane Baptist Church. He read his Bible every day and prayed for his family and other needs.

He is remembered by his children and their spouses Gayle and George Brown, Jim and Kim Wilcox, Laurie and Greg Heard and Dave and Corinne Wilcox; his grandchildren Amy, Leah, Eli, Nathaniel, Benjamin, Tyrus, Rose, Zach and Taylor; his great-grandchildren Camille, Josephine, Madilyn, Elijah, Ezra, Kepler, Caleb, Jonathan and Joel as well as Fred Swan and his family, many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

His family is so grateful to Park Hills AFH for their care of dad in his final days. They loved him as we do.

Memorials in Lee’s name can be made to Four Lakes Community Church, Spokane Baptist Church or Union Gospel Mission. A celebration memorial will be held Thursday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m. at Cheney Funeral Chapel. Cheney Funeral Chapel, Cheney, WA.

Online guest book at cheneyfuneral.com.