W. JAMES MESHISHNEK JR.
April 4, 2020.
Jim Meshishnek passed away at home Saturday, April 4, 2020, after a long battle with cancer. He was born Feb. 10, 1943, in Lewiston, to Wilfred and Mafalda Meshishnek. He attended and graduated from St. Stanislaus Catholic School before going to Lewiston High School.
Jim had a special bond with his grandparents, Tony and Concetta Piraino. He learned to drive at age 10, driving his grandfather to his restaurant and on other errands. Each summer he would drive his grandfather to Spokane to pick up his cousins for the summer. They enjoyed playing, riding horses, and picking and eating fresh fruit and vegetables out of Grandma’s huge garden. Those activities were always followed by one of Grandma’s authentic Italian dinners. In the evening, they would sometimes talk Grandpa into taking them to one of the local auto-views.
Jim attended Lewiston High School, where he enjoyed playing baseball and football. He played second base and lettered three years on the team. He played halfback on the football team, earning first-team All-Inland Empire League his junior and senior years. He graduated in 1961. He accepted a scholarship from College of Idaho in baseball and football. He lettered in both. The highlight of his baseball career was when a scout for the Kansas City Athletics offered him a tryout for the team, which he declined.
In 1964, he joined the U.S. Navy. He made two deployments to Vietnam — one aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway CVA-41, and the next nine-month deployment, he was attached to fighter squadron VF-21, which went aboard the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea. He received an honorable discharge in 1967.
In 1969, he married the love of his life, Linda Dale. They both went back to finish their college degrees. She received her teaching degree at Lewis-Clark State College and he received his accounting degree at the University of Idaho.
Jim went to work for the CPA firm Morris, Lee & Co. After that, he took the job as controller for Lewis-Clark Savings & Loan. He was later promoted to vice president and CFO. When Lewis-Clark merged with Sterling Savings, Jim started his own accounting office, Tax & Business Services, in 1983. He worked for more than 30 years before retiring because of health reasons.
Jim had a great sense of humor and was always ready with a one-liner. He enjoyed watching his Zags during basketball season and watching his grandsons play sports. Jim and Linda enjoyed travels to Italy and Germany and spending time at Priest Lake. They had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 16. He enjoyed spending time with his family and they loved being with him. He was the best husband, dad and papa. Jim always felt his biggest success was his two daughters, Reca and Tara. He was always proud of them.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his son-in-law, Matt Thomasson, whom he considered his son. He is survived by his wife, Linda; daughters Reca Thomasson and Tara (Jesse) Cobley; and grandsons Drew and Joey Thomasson and Jayden and Jameson Cobley.
He wished to express thanks for the care he received from his many nurses at the cancer clinic, hospice and others. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.