James Edwin Stocker went home to be with the Lord on May 26, 2011 at the age of 79 as he was passing through Charlottesville, Virginia on a cross-country bicycling trip. He had lived in his home in Bellevue, Washington since 1963.
Jim was born in Camden, New Jersey on March 15, 1932 to Arthur and Arielle Stocker. He met and began dating the love of his life, Judith Christine Piper, in high school and courted her during their college years. They were married on March 11, 1955 in Collingswood, New Jersey, and were blessed with 50 years of marriage until her passing in 2005. Together they traveled throughout Europe, visited the Holy Lands, and enjoyed the beaches of Maui for weeks at a time.
Jim graduated from Drexel University in 1955 with a degree in civil engineering and worked in the aerospace industry primarily as a computer engineer for nearly forty years until his retirement. At Boeing, Jim was responsible for evaluating new computers and software languages as they were developed in order to determine their capabilities relevant to Boeing's needs. Another of his projects at Boeing was the integration and testing of many of the computers used in the development of the stealth bomber.
Jim loved the Lord and shared his faith with exuberance. He was an active member of Westminster Chapel in Bellevue where he sang in the choir and the Crosspoint vocal ensemble. He was also involved in the Alpha and Celebrate Recovery ministries and made it a point to eagerly welcome all newcomers. Jim's smile, enthusiasm, encouragement, and servant's spirit will be greatly missed.
Bicycling, skiing, and hiking were a source of great joy to Jim, and he used his skills, knowledge, and love of the outdoors to serve others for many years by volunteering with the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol, King County Search and Rescue, and as a Boy Scout leader.
Jim is survived by his daughter, Kathy Samsel of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and his son, Ken Stocker of Bellevue, Washington; his grandchildren: Becky White, Joshua Gilmore, Hannah Gilmore, Sam Gilmore, Lydia Gilmore, Kassi Stocker, Josh Stocker, Jeremiah Stocker; and his great-grandchildren: Jenny, Carly, Skyler, Makyla, and Kylee.
A celebration of Jim's life will be held at 1 PM on Saturday, June 11th, 2011 at Westminster Chapel, 13646 NE 24th ST, Bellevue WA 98005. Donations in his memory may be sent to Westminster Chapel for the Celebrate Recovery ministry.
Arrangements under the direction of Sunset Hills Funeral Home, Bellevue, WA.