James I. (Jim) McClain

Published 11:04 am Tuesday, February 20, 2018

April 3, 1919 – Feb. 16, 2018

James I. (Jim) McClain, age 98, passed away on February 16, 2018, just 43 days short of his 99th birthday. Jim was born on April 3, 1919, in Bend and was a life long resident. He was the third of five children of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin J. McClain.

Jim graduated from Bend High School, joined the Army, serving in the 41st Infantry Division in the New Guinea Campaign, attained the rank of master sergeant, and earned a Bronze Star, among other awards.

After returning from WWII, Jim started a log trucking company in 1946, McClain Bros. Logging, with his brothers where he served as an owner until his retirement after 41 years in 1987.

Jim and Isabel Pagani of Weed, CA, were married in November 1948, and raised four children in Bend, and were married for 33 years, until Isabel’s death in 1981.

Jim and Isabel were life long skiers and Jim continued to ski into his 80s. They were members of the Bend Skyliners and Jim was one of the original founders of Mt. Bachelor in the 1950s. In 1968, Jim and Isabel, and other partners, formed Mt. Bachelor Lodging Corp. and built and operated the overnight lodge which is now the West Village Lodge. Jim served as a Director of Mt. Bachelor until Bachelor was acquired by Powder Corp. in 2001.

In 1983, Jim and Eloise Carlton married and they spent nearly 35 years together traveling, spending time with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and engaging in community activities.

Jim’s professional and civic affiliations were numerous. In addition to serving as a director of Mt. Bachelor Ski Corp., he served as a director and past president of the Oregon Forest Products Transportation Association, was a board member of the High Desert Museum and a 4th degree Knight and past Grand Knight of the Bend chapter of the Knights of Columbus. Jim was also the oldest living Grand Knight in the state of Oregon.

Jim is predeceased by his wife of 33 years, Isabel Josephine McClain. He is survived by his current wife, Eloise McClain, his four children, Stan, of Salem, OR., Steve, of Scottsdale, AZ, Maria and Monica, both of Bend, and their spouses; Eloise’s children, Carla Hunt and Mark Carlton. He also had 12 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, February 23, at 2 p.m., at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 599 NW Lava Rd., Bend, Oregon, with a reception to follow.

The family requests memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the St. Charles Health System Hospice Care Center. Arrangements are entrusted to Niswonger and Reynolds, 105 NW Irving, Bend, OR.