State Mourns Passing of Veteran Leader, Advocate

By Tyler Francke, Veterans News Magazine

The Oregon veteran community lost one of its greatest friends and fiercest advocates this year with the passing of former Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director James “Jim” Willis. He died June 14, 2021, at the age of 78.

Willis was a decorated Vietnam-era veteran of the United States Air Force and a longtime leader and advocate in the veteran community — both on the state and national levels and in his hometown of Albany.

Willis was born Jan. 12, 1943, in Portland. He grew up in Albany and graduated from Albany Union High School in 1961 before joining the United States Air Force. He served eight years, being stationed at bases in Texas, Mississippi, California, Hawaii and Oregon, plus spent 13 months at Phan Rang in South Vietnam.

“We did air base security,” Willis told the Albany DemocratHerald in 2013. “I was an armorer and we provided combat convoy escorts between air bases,” said Willis. “That wasn’t good, because the convoy can only travel as fast as the slowest vehicle. We were fired upon many times.”

Willis earned numerous medals and ribbons during his time in service, including the Air Force Commendation medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, two Air Force Outstanding Unit medals, two Good Conduct medals and more.

After his military discharge, Willis became a deputy sheriff in Douglas County, working out of Roseburg. He spent 15 years in southern Oregon, rising to the rank of lieutenant.

He then became undersheriff in Washington County for two years before becoming head of leadership training at what is now the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. He was promoted to deputy director and then commander during his four years there.

In 1978, he was awarded the Oregon Police Medal of Valor and in 1993, he received the L. Dale Morris Award for dedicated service to Oregon Law Enforcement. That same year, Willis became bureau commander for the Oregon State Police in Salem, a job he held for 10 years until Gov. Ted Kulongoski appointed him director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs in 2003. Willis served in that position for nearly a decade.

Among his achievements was his dedication to ensuring Oregon provided award-winning skilled nursing care to all veterans, spouses and Gold Star Families. In 2014, he spearheaded the development of the state’s second Oregon Veterans’ Home located in Lebanon. Jim was also a fierce advocate for recognizing and honoring the service and true sacrifice of veterans and their families — working with organizations to build two wartime-era memorials in Oregon dedicated to the service members who fought and gave their lives in service to their country.

On Aug. 19, Willis’ family, former colleagues and many friends gathered at the Best Western Premier Boulder Falls Inn to reflect on these achievements — and much more, the outsized impact he made on those around him through his kindness, dedication, firm principles and sense of humor.

“In truth, these accomplishments barely scratch the surface of all that Jim accomplished in a life well-lived,” said current ODVA Director Kelly Fitzpatrick. “Above all else, Jim’s unwavering commitment to serving all veterans defined his tenure — and his life. He will be truly missed by the untold number of lives he touched.”

Fitzpatrick said she was grateful to have known Willis for the short time that she did.

“He was a mentor who continues to serve as an inspiration to me as I strive to serve Oregon veterans and their families every day,” she said.

Army veteran Tonja Pardo, who emceed the memorial, in particular reflected on his sense of humor — which the proud Air Force vet frequently deployed to tease those who served in the other branches — including when they first met.

“I told him I was Army Airborne, and being Air Force, he immediately said, ‘Why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane?’” Pardo recalled. “He had a wonderful sense of humor, and he became a very good friend.”

Randy Martinak, a Navy veteran and one of Willis’ high school friends, spoke at length about his law enforcement career. The number of times Willis was involved in a physical confrontation while on duty could be counted on one hand, Martinak declared, despite cutting his teeth on the rough roads of rural Oregon.

“Jim Willis was the kind of guy who could take a drunk driver to the county jail in July and have him singing Christmas carols by the time they arrived,” Martinak quipped. “That was just the way he dealt with people. He seldom had to use force, and he could talk the bark off a tree.”

Don Weber, department commander for the American Legion of Oregon, recited a poem honoring fallen veterans that Willis (a gifted writer, among his many other skills) had penned.

“There are three things we know about Jim,” Weber said. “He loved his family. He loved the United States Air Force. And he loved veterans of the United States of America.”

“I am grateful to have known Jim,” Fitzpatrick concluded. “He was a mentor, and through the legacy of his contributions will continue to serve as an inspiration, reminding us that, in Oregon, every day is Veterans Day.”

Scenes from the Aug. 19 Celebration of Life for Jim Willis, which was staged at the Best Western Premier Inn in Lebanon. Willis' friends, former colleagues and many friends gathered to celebrate and remember Willis and the remarkable impact he made on so many.