James E. Benham died Nov. 30, 2004, at his home at the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles, Ore. He was 83 years old.

Mr. Benham was born Aug. 9, 1921, in Portland, Ore. He grew up on a dairy farm near Lafayette, Ore. and graduated from Lafayette School.

Mr. Benham served as a bomber pilot with the 8th Air Force based in England from December 1943 to November 1945, completing 35 missions.

After attending the University of Oregon, where he met and married Jeanne Long, Mr. Benham went to work for Oregon Mutual Insurance Company in McMinnville, Ore. The family moved to Seattle in 1951, and to Vashon Island in 1961.

Mr. Benham owned the Vashon Insurance Service and was active in local politics, and organizations such as Kiwanis. He was a volunteer firefighter. He served as president of the Blue Goose, a service organization for insurance brokers. He and Jeanne were founding members of the Vashon Island Golf and Country Club. Mr. Benham also enjoyed coaching the Vashon Eagles Little League baseball team and served for several years as an umpire for Little League.

The Benhams moved to Beaverton in 1981 following an accident that left Mr. Benham a partial quadriplegic. Jeanne took care of her husband at their home until he suffered a stroke in 2000 and moved to West Hills Convalescent Center in Portland.

His wife died in 2000. A son, James, died in 1992.

Up until the end, Jim Benham was full of life and love, his friends and family say.

Survivors include daughter Janice Benham Langholz of Falls Church, Va., and two grandsons, Erin White of Seattle, Wash., and Lance Corporal Tyler James Benham.

A ceremony will be in the spring in McMinnville.