Obituary: Vasquez, James Alan
Age 83
VASQUEZ, James Alan
Of Spokane, Washington died on March 16, 2016 at the age of 83.
Jim was born on June 25, 1932, in Los Angeles, California.
He was the ninth child of ten in a Mexican-American family.
His parents were Neftali Vasquez and Irene Fraijo.
Jim served his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, completing 19 jumps with the 82nd Airborne Division.
After leaving the Army, Jim earned his Bachelors’ Degree from the University of Redlands and his Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.
Jim married the former Joanne Weston in 1959.
They had three children together: Jody (b.
1960), Debbie (b.
1963) and David (b.
1965).
Jim served as a full-time missionary in Costa Rica and Colombia for several years during the 1960s.
After returning to the United States, Jim studied at UCLA, where he obtained his PhD in educational psychology and psycholinguistics.
In 1976 Jim moved to the Seattle area when he was named Director of the Chicano Studies Center at the University of Washington.
He was also given an appointment in that university’s College of Education.
Jim was a faculty member there for over 25 years until his retirement.
Jim was a popular lecturer and beloved by his students.
He married the former Linda Pence in 1990.
Jim had a passion for researching his ancestral roots.
His work was appreciated by the many fellow descendants of Gregorio Fraijo, Jim’s great-grandfather, who came to California from Mexico in 1850.
Jim was also a prolific poet who published several volumes of poetry inspired by the characters and words of the Bible.
Jim will be remembered for the irreplaceable role he filled in his large extended family.
Jim dearly loved his children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins and took the initiative to organize multiple joyful family reunions over the years.
Jim’s love, wisdom and gentle spirit of welcome will be missed by many.
Jim is survived by his wife Linda Vasquez and her daughter Stephanie Mencke; children Jody Vasquez, Debbie and Todd Rogers and David and Jackie Vasquez; older sister Marie Newman; ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be held on April 9 at 3:00pm at Whitworth Church.