Prosser, Jim

Published 12:13 am Tuesday, September 22, 2015

– New Text 9/17 – James “Jim” Prosser – – May 20, 1933 – September 15, 2015 – Bend businessman, James “Jim” Prosser, died September 15, 2015, surrounded by his large and loving family. Jim was born May 20, 1933, the only child of James and Mary Prosser. He was raised in the northern Montana town of Sweetgrass on the Canadian border. Prosser said he could often tell if a person grew up in extreme cold as the hardship made one less quick to give offense and faster to lend a hand. Prosser’s beloved father “JK” owned a Texaco gas station and mechanic shop, which served the bootleggers of Canadian whiskey and the US border patrol alike. His dad being a very ethical man, all cars were equally well-tuned at the shop. This made for fast and furious chases over rolling prairie hills – fun sport for a small town.Prosser spent much of his youth hunting and fishing with JK in the Montana Rockies. After graduating from high school in 1950, he headed to the University of Montana to study business. He led his Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity brothers on deer hunts, adding venison to the endless spaghetti and peanut butter sandwiches. He paid his way through college working summers in the oil field.While at U of M, the Korean War erupted and Prosser joined the US Army. He served as a sergeant, tasked with training sharp shooters. Testing in the Army’s top tier for math and logic, he was selected for specialized training and posted to a supply logistics team, Western Troop Movement, at Ford Ord in California. He later served as a courier to the United Nations at The Presidio. With his honorable discharge in 1956, Prosser returned to Montana to continue his studies. He soon headed west again, lured by the many career opportunities in the budding Silicone Valley. He found success as an accountant at IBM, but his entrepreneurial spirit chaffed under the – Organization Man – corporate culture. Prosser closed the best deal of his life when he convinced the beautiful, competent and ever cheerful Dolores Carriere to marry him. From Saskatchewan, Canada, Dolores had moved to the Bay Area to pursue her career as a registered nurse. They met in 1958 and wed in Canada in June 1959, settling in San Jose. The family grew by seven children, six daughters and one son, in the next decade.Jim Prosser disliked gambling, but he was not adverse to risk-taking. Ever confident and optimistic, he left IBM to open a Western Auto hardware store and later worked for Firestone Corporation. Jim spent eleven years as the California district manager for Coast to Coast Hardware Stores. He was so good at recruiting franchisees and opening stores, that it was inevitable that he would find the perfect store for himself. That opportunity came in 1974 when he and Dolores purchased a Coast to Coast Hardware store, then at the corner of Greenwood and Eighth, and moved their family to Bend, Oregon. A second store was opened on south Hwy 97 in 1981. Jim appreciated – the support of the community, his great staff and especially longtime friend, colleague and store manager, Craig Clasby. – When Coast to Coast Hardware closed in 1997, Jim became a commercial real estate broker, earning a CCIM credential. Until his retirement in 2014, he was active with Century 21 Realty.Prosser’s fifteen minutes of fame came when he survived being lost in the snow-bound Montana Rockies for several days in November 1993. He was invited to share his harrowing tale of survival to local groups and schools for many months after. Jim loved his family, the community and Central Oregon. He was a big supporter of schools and of COCC and was proud that his seven children all graduated from universities in Oregon. Jim was a past board president of the Bend Chamber of Commerce, served on various City of Bend committees, and was a tireless advocate for local business. He was an active member of the Bend Sunrise Lions Club for over forty years.Jim is survived by his wife of 56 years, Dolores, daughter, Jane and Scott Reynolds and Jennifer, Courtney and Alison (Bend); daughter, Nancy Prosser (Santa Fe); son, Jim, and Allison Prosser and Lola (Portland); daughter, Linda, and Greg Crabtree and Emma, Jane and Silas (Portland); daughter, Donna, and Greg Maffei and Isabella and Lucas (Portland); daughter, Carol, and Chuck Clair and Quinn, Chase and Ellis (Bend), and daughter, Kerry, and Ken – Merrill and Cooper (Sisters). He leaves behind a wealth of people whom he loved and who loved and respected him. – A celebration of Jim’s life will be held Saturday, September 19 at 1pm at Wille Hall inside the Coats Campus Center at Central Oregon Community College (COCC). In lieu of cards or flowers, please consider a donation to COCC Foundation Scholarships.