William Fred St. James

William Fred St. James, 86, passed away March 12, 2010 in Surprise, Ariz. He was laid to rest at Glacier Memorial Gardens in Kalispell.

Bill was born in St. Louis, Mo., June 24, 1924. At the age of 16, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was stationed in Alaska, Whidbey Island and Hawaii until he was honorably discharged in 1947. While in the Navy, Bill met and married Harriet Hagen in 1945.

In 1952 Bill went to work for the Great Northern Railroad and was transferred to Whitefish as a brakeman. After retirement Bill moved to Surprise, Ariz. He later became a 'snowbird" between Arizona and Washington.

Bill was a life member of the Whitefish Moose Lodge. He was a big fan of baseball and enjoyed many hours of woodworking. Bill collected railroad and baseball memorabilia.

He was preceded in death by his wife Harriet in 1992, and daughter, Pamela.

He is survived by his long-time partner and friend, Shirley Gallo and daughter, Marla Unger.