James Heath

It is with heavy hearts that we share that James Richard “Jim” Heath passed away on October 9, 2026 after a battle with glioblastoma. A son of Salem, Oregon, Jim lived most of his life in the Portland area. He was married to his beloved wife, Mara, for 57 years and is survived by her, their son Paul, daughter‑in‑law Jennifer, and grandchildren Grace and Nate.

Please join us for a Celebration of Life on Wednesday November 25, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at Multnomah Arts Center in Portland. Please rsvp to Paul if you are able to attend.

Jim graduated from Dartmouth College, served as an intelligence officer in the Navy, and later attended Harvard Business School. He built a long career in retail management, where he most treasured the relationships he made. In his final years he generously volunteered with SCORE, offering free counsel to local small businesses because he believed in giving his time to improve the community.

A lifelong learner and devoted reader, Jim loved books, poetry, jazz and classical music, visual art, and baseball; libraries—Powell’s felt like heaven to him. He delighted in reading aloud (one of his son Paul’s favorite memories is Jim reading The Chronicles of Narnia), enjoyed word and crossword puzzles, and had a subtle, warm sense of humor. He proposed marriage to Mara in front of a Mark Rothko painting at Dartmouth and famously opened wine and cheese with a room key to impress her.

We will miss Jim’s generosity, civility, and gentle, gentlemanly presence, his integrity, love of learning, and devotion to family and community left a deep mark on all who knew him.

We invite you to share your memories of James and upload photos to his memorial page. In doing so, we can all help to keep his memory alive and celebrate the remarkable life he led. Your stories and photos are not just a tribute to James, but a gift to all who knew him.