James A. DeLapp (Jim)

James A. DeLapp (Jim), a resident of Cottage Grove, Oregon from 1978 – 2017, went to be with his Lord and Savior on April 17th, 2019, in Eugene, Oregon, while surrounded by friends and family.

Jim was born in King City, California, on November 23rd, 1930, to parents Virgil DeLapp and Lita Adams (DeLapp). He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1953 with a Bachelor’s degree in Soils Science. He was in the US Army based in Japan for two years during the Korean Conflict. His career started in the Soil Conservation Service and then progressed to the US Forest Service, where he worked as a Soils and Watershed Specialist until retirement in 1990. He was a very hard worker all his life and kept himself busy throughout retirement by traveling the country, repairing and tuning pianos and sewing machines. He was a fine musician, playing piano for churches he attended throughout his life. Family was his highest priority and he made every effort to stay in touch with relatives near and far. He had a wonderful sense of humor and an eclectic sense of fashion, wearing bright colors and custom clothing designed by his wife, Jodi. He served on the Cottage Grove Planning Commission and volunteered at Bohemia Elementary with the English Language Learners program.

He is survived by his wife, his sister, seven children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother.

There will be Celebration of Life at Cottage Grove Methodist Church, 334 Washington Ave., Cottage Grove, Oregon, on Tuesday, April 30th, at 11:00 AM. Bright clothing is encouraged!