It is with the heaviest hearts that we announce the death of James “Jim” Douglass Van Orden. He passed on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at the age of 68 in the comfort of his own bed, surrounded by his family in Pullman. He had fought a long battle with cancer for the last seven years which ultimately took his life. He can finally be with his parents and brother, and we’re sure he’s already punched his brother at least once. He was a person that was so full of knowledge and great life lessons. He could wrench on just about any machine you could name and could operate them just the same. He shared his wisdom with his children, and so many others around him, and was always working so hard for his family. He will be cremated and scattered at some of his fondest places.
Jim was born on July 13, 1955, in the Stanford University Hospital in San Fransisco. He is the first son of Jody Wathen and Hal Barnes and was legally adopted by his name’s sake Douglass Van Orden when he was a young child after his mother remarried. His adopted father Doug was a commanding officer in the U.S. Navy and taught him discipline and hard work. Jim loved traveling the world and seeing new people and things. He graduated high school at St. Elizabeth’s in Oakland, Calif., in 1973. After high school he enrolled in California Maritime Academy and got to see more of the world than most would think imaginable. He graduated from CMA in 1976 with a Bachelor’s in Nautical Science and went on to work for a shipping supply company called Tide Water. He met the mother of his children, Gwen Anderson, in 1982, and together they moved to Pullman. After moving, Jim and Gwen were married in 1983 at Moscow City Hall. Jim found work through all sorts of different avenues. Initially he started working as a farm hand, herding cattle down on the slopes of the Snake River, along with driving farm equipment for local farmers. After that he would drive his truck for various organizations like Pepsi and Darigold, then moving on to having his own independent trucking company and contracting himself out to local people and organizations, most notably Poe Asphalt. While working, he was dedicated to volunteering for the Pullman school’s PTA and Boosters, and always organized the yearly Christmas tree sale. In 2012 he also began working as a train engineer for Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) and spent many years operating trains for BNSF up until his retirement in 2021.
Jim and Gwen gave birth to a stillborn daughter, Sara, in 1989 which was a tragic time in their lives, but where a door closes, another opens, and they gave birth to their son Daniel on June 19, 1990, and daughter Emily on Aug. 10, 1993. He loved his children, even though he was a little scary to them at times. Jim and Gwen divorced in 2003, and he and Lisa Estes started dating shortly thereafter and remained significant others until his passing. He always enjoyed and cherished Lisa, along with her daughter and son-in-law Ashley and Tre Alvarez, and especially their beautiful children Paisley, Elsie and Oslo. His son Danny and daughter-in-law Natasha are expecting a child in June of 2024 and we’re sure he’ll be looking down on them with anticipation. His daughter Emily and her significant other Tanner Campbell are also planning on starting a family not too far off in the future. We just wish he could’ve been here to see it all.
Jim enjoyed caring for and spending time at his 5-acre property just south of Pullman and boating down at the Snake River. He also loved fixing things and was an excellent mechanic. He loved spending time with his family and friends and watching old movies on tv (especially westerns). He was an excellent cook and watched the food network frequently (his favorite show on there was Good Eats with Alton Brown). Jim was always coming up with new recipes and ingredients to spice up a home cooked meal. He loved music of all sorts, but especially loved Stevie Ray Vaughan and Led Zeppelin, and developed a love for smooth jazz in his later years. We would always be amazed at his ability to stay awake while listening to it and driving a warm car at night. He had an engineer’s brain and was always the first person we’d call if we needed help fixing something. A jack of all trades you could call him, and although he was a man of few words, he always managed to get his point across. He showed his love through actions, and always made sure we were taken care of.
Preceding Jim in death are his father Douglass Van Orden, his mother Jody Van Orden (Wathen), his brother Tom Van Orden, and his daughter Sara Van Orden. He is survived by his son Daniel Van Orden (wife Natasha) of San Diego, his daughter Emily Van Orden of Pullman, his sister Stacy Chai (husband Barrett Sr.) of Kihei, Hawaii, his nephews Andy, Cullen, Cavan, Cody, Barrett Jr., and Nainoa Chai, along with two other half siblings (Mike and Greg Barnes). Jim (Papa Jim) leaves behind his significant other Lisa and her daughter and son-in-law, along with their children Paisley, Elsie and Oslo Alvarez who were an important part of his life, as we know he was an important part of theirs. He was an influence on so many people, and we thank everyone who showed support for him in his final years. He will be greatly missed.
Cremation services were provided by Corbeill Funeral Home.
Service for Jim will include a small gathering of the family for a private ceremony and reception which will be announced at a later date. Online condolences may be sent to corbeillfuneralhomes.com. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our friends and family for showing so much love and support through this difficult time. It has made such a tremendous difference in facing this challenge and we appreciate it greatly. Jim was a cat lover so in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Whitman County Humane Society.
God bless you and thank you for your love.
—Lisa, Danny, Emily and Ashley
