James (Jim) Noteboom, age 87, passed away peacefully on April 3, 2018 in Lynden.
Jim was born July 18, 1930, the fifth of five children to William and Hilda Elder Noteboom. He was raised on the family dairy farm and graduated in 1948 from Lynden High School. Jim went on to graduate from Western Washington College of Education. There he met the love of his life, Dorothy James. She always claimed that “it was his blue eyes” that captured her attention. Jim and Dorothy were married in 1954 and moved to San Francisco after Jim joined the Army and was assigned to the veterinary corps at the Presidio. After he completed military service in 1955, they settled in Everson where Jim began a teaching career at Nooksack Valley High School. He taught social studies, driver education and history, and coached basketball. He completed a master’s degree program in guidance counseling at Washington State University in 1963 and took on counseling duties at the school from then on. He spent many summers during his teaching career growing and harvesting raspberries with his good friend Dale Steele. After 30 years of service, he retired from the Nooksack Valley School District. With guidance from Project Hope of Lynden he opened the Everson-Nooksack Valley Food Bank in 1986 and served as director until 2016. He served on the Whatcom County Housing Authority board for 10 years, was a member and president of Everson Lions Club, and was a board member and treasurer for Nooksack Christian Fellowship. He was named Whatcom County Man of the Year by the Lynden Tribune in 1991.
Jim’s character was exemplary. Every person he came in contact with was given the benefit of any doubt. Anybody was to be trusted first until they were proven untrustworthy and not vice versa. He was quick to listen and slow to speak. Quiet service to his family, his neighbors, his community and his students were hallmarks of his personality, which he always credited as inspiration coming from his father, William “Papa Bill” Noteboom. Jim set the bar high for what it’s like to be a quality human being.
Jim enjoyed traveling with Dorothy, especially yearly trips to Palm Springs and several vacations in Europe. He took many fishing trips to the British Columbia interior with family, close friends and colleagues. He loved growing, and especially sharing, corn, beans, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and asparagus from his garden. Jim shared a love of dahlias with his brothers Bill and Don. He spent time in his garden until he was physically unable to continue.
Jim is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Dorothy; children Terry (Barbara) Noteboom, Randy (Ona Treciokas) Noteboom, Becky (Robert) Moulton; and grandsons Sean, Kellan, Colin and Adrian Noteboom. He took great pleasure in watching his grandchildren play sports and perform music. He is survived by his brother Bill Noteboom of Longview; his sister-in-law Henrietta Noteboom of Lynden; brother in-law Bud Neevel of Covington; and numerous nieces and nephews in whom he always showed a genuine interest.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, brother Don Noteboom, sister Jean Nowadnick, brother-in-law Dick Nowadnick, sister Linda Neevel, and sister-in-law Velma Noteboom.
You are invited to a memorial service for Jim at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 21, in the Nooksack Valley High School Preforming Arts Center auditorium. Following, please join family and friends for a reception in Nooksack Christian Fellowship, 201 Jackson St., Nooksack.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Everson-Nooksack Valley Food Bank, c/o Ted and Diane Lautenbach, 205 Reeds Lane, Everson, WA 98247; or Nooksack Christian Fellowship, 201 Jackson St., Nooksack, WA 98276.
You are invited to share your memories and condolences in the online guestbook at www.gilliesfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are entrusted to Gillies Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
