James Edward (Jim) Roeber

Spokane, WA-November 2, 2023 – James Edward (Jim) Roeber died peacefully at home on November 2, 2023, surrounded by his beloved wife of 73 years, Jean, and other family members. He was 94 years old.

Jim was born February 24, 1929, in Newark, New Jersey to William Frederick and Reta Bernice (Carter) Roeber. He graduated from Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ in 1945 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY in 1949. While at Cornell, he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau, participated in ROTC, and was a member of the Pershing Rifles Company. He also participated in the Cornell Dramatic Club where he met Jean, who years later he described as "my wife, my love, my lover, my mate, my helpmate, my spouse, my dearest friend, my life's companion." After graduation he began a career in teaching.

Jim and Jean married on August 19, 1950. Jim moved into managerial work at General Electric in order to support a growing family and earned his MBA at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH in June 1954. He left GE to work in the aerospace industry. In 1961 he accepted a job with Aerospace Corporation and moved the family, which by then included five children to southern California. He later left Aerospace to become General Manager of General Steel & Wire, a company owned by his cousin Jim Smith. After four years there, the company was sold to a larger competitor and Jim went into business brokering steel and wire for a short time, before moving into commercial real estate. He obtained a broker's license and worked as a commercial real estate broker in California until 1978 when the family moved again, this time to Spokane, WA. He worked as a commercial real estate broker in Spokane until his retirement in 2004.

Jim enjoyed time on the water and shortly after moving to California became active in the United States Power Squadron, a national education and boating safety organization. He moved through the ranks of the local organization both in California and in Spokane and then on to the national organization, eventually serving on the National Bridge as National Education Officer from 2000-2003. He also served as the USPS representative on the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators for several years and on the USPS Nominating Committee.

He continued to be active in USPS until shortly before his death.  Jim joined Rotary International soon after moving to Spokane. He was named a Paul Harris Fellow in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations between peoples of the world. In 2021 he also was awarded an honorary membership based on over 40 years of dedication and service to the organization, both locally and internationally.

Jim was also active in every Catholic Church the family attended, often as music director, as well as in various other liturgical ministries and on building committees.

Jim and Jean enjoyed traveling and had included both road trips and boating trips in the family's activities for many years, making sure that the trips were educational. After all the children had moved out they spent time exploring other parts of the world, often through boating trips or on cruises. They embraced the concept of "Sail before Sunset," that is, take advantage of possibilities while you are able to do so.