James Gallegos

James E Gallegos Jr passed away February 12, 2019. Jim fought lung cancer for over 3 years and was winning when he succumbed to COPD.

Jim was born in Altadena, CA at St Luke Hospital to James E and Shirley Jean Gallegos on December 26, 1947.

Jim grew up in California when you could still run through the orchards, climb olive trees and eat peaches from the tree.  Jim, along with his brothers Johnny and Gaylord, as well as their sister Sharon, had a childhood full of fun, adventure and mischief. Jim often wondered how they survived, or how their father let them survive.  They once took apart a brand new lawnmower to make a go kart and used poor Gaylord as their test dummy. They would also sling tiles off their roof in a neighborhood turf war.

Jim went to school in California, including two years of junior college. While in high school Jim became an avid bowler and had dreams of going professional however marriage and children demanded he get a real job.  He started working for Tommy Lee as a machinist. In 1965 he married Norma Jean and started their family welcoming Teri Lynne. Traci Jean also joined the family in 1966. Sadly Jim and Norma lost their son Jimmy to crib death in 1968 which took a terrible toll on their marriage which ended shortly after that.

Jim reunited with his high school sweetheart and first love, Dianne Faye and her son Michael and they became a family.  In 1973 they were blessed to have Robert join the family as well. In 1976 they relocated to Hayden, ID.  Jim worked as a machinist at DeArmond Mill, Allied Weldery, Northwest Machine, Sunshine Minting, and retired from Welding Fabricators. Always up for a challenge, Jim worked on a silent prop for the Navy at Bayview. Jim took great pride in his work and was a master at the art of machining. He took the challenge from Marvin while at Sunshine Minting and was able to get them up and running in a new building which allowed them to get a government contract stamping silver coins. While at sunshine he also worked for George Devore at Hayden Denture making dentures.

After he and Dianne divorced in 1979, he met his lifelong love Linda Panabaker and her daughter Jessica. For forty years the two of them enjoyed a life of fun, adventure, and yes, mischief.  Jim enjoyed spending time with family and friends and going to their cabin on the lake.  He and Linda enjoyed refinishing and repairing old furniture in their basement.  You could always count on Jim for a good laugh and practical jokes.  Jim was also an avid Nascar fan and loved to go to races whenever he could, and if he was watching on tv you better not talk while it was on.

Jim is survived by his wife Linda, children Traci Gallegos-Schuver, Robert and Michelle Gallegos, Michael and Christine Norman, and Jessica and Curtis Conner, as well as grandchildren Thresha, Taylor, Trevor, Rachel, Carissa, Jordan, Abreham, Hana, Curtis, Mathew, Kali and Hailey.  Also by nieces, nephews, brother-in-law Jim Reed and Ron Reed, sister-in-law Sharon Dillon and husband Scott, their daughter Emee and too many friends to name.

Sadly Jim was preceded in death by his daughter Teri Lynne, son Jimmy, sister Sharon, brothers John and Gaylord, father James and mother Shirley.

There will be a celebration of life on June 15, 2019 at 2PM at Dejay and Jayme Naylors house.