James Bascom Paris

James Bascom Paris, 93, of Moses Lake, Wash., went to be with his Lord on Aug. 31, 2015. James began this life on Dec. 31, 1921 in Paragould, Ark., the youngest of six children. His father, James Ernest Paris, was a pharmacist, and his beloved mother, Sally Bascom Paris, worked at the family-owned drug store.

James grew up during the Great Depression, and through Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” he worked for the National Youth Administration in the Ozarks. He enjoyed spending his high school summers participating in a military youth organization called CMTC (Citizen’s Military Training Camps) and it was then he knew he was meant for a life-long career in the military. Shortly after high school graduation, James joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to a technical school for training. During the next 2½ years he served his country in England, as well as in Algeria and Tunisia during the North African Campaign. Upon returning to the U.S., James was honorably discharged from the Army.

James married Lennie Alma Jean Chesser on May 16, 1946 in Paragould, Ark. and shortly afterwards re-enlisted for military service in the United States Air Force. In 1960, James and Alma Jean were transferred from Sculthorpe Air Force Base, England to Larson A.F.B. in Moses Lake with their 3 children, Mike, Dale and Mary Jean. Soon afterwards, twin nieces came to live with them, Alma Jean Faulkner Ramsey and Amelia Jane Chesser.

James retired from the Air Force in 1966 after 26 years of service in the U.S., England, Germany, Sicily, Corsica, Italy and Korea. After his retirement from the military, James and Alma Jean chose to stay in Moses Lake where James worked for the next 10 years as the Personnel Manager at American Potato Company. In 2010 James was honored for his military service in WWII by the Honor Flight, joining other WWII Veterans in Washington D.C. to see the World War II Memorial.

James’ hobbies included an avid interest in Moses Lake High School wrestling, reading, ping pong, billiards, and his life-long loves of hunting and fishing. He became a skilled woodworker, restoring and making furniture for his friends and family, as well as the furniture for an extensive library at the Moses Lake Alliance Church where he and Alma Jean attended.

Preceded in death by his parents, five siblings, and his niece, Amelia Jane Chesser, James Bascom Paris is survived by his loving wife, Alma Jean Paris, two sons, James Michael (Helen) Paris and Dale (Patti) Paris, both of Moses Lake, and daughter, Mary Jean Paris Powers of Longmont, Colo., as well as his niece, Alma Jean Faulkner Ramsey of Nashua, N.H. James’ surviving four grandsons are Brian Paris and Tyler Paris, both of Moses Lake, Jonathan (Holly) Powers and David (Tara) Powers, as well as five great-grandchildren, all of Colorado.

Please join the Paris family for James’ funeral at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2015 at Moses Lake Alliance Church, 1100 N Grape Drive, Moses Lake. Sign the online guestbook at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements in care of Kayser’s Chapel & Crematory.