James "Jim" Russell Searles

James Russell “Jim” Searles died on the evening of September 18, 2026, with family by his side. He fought a brief but intense battle against cancer to extend his life. 

Jim, also known as Tiger to family and close friends, was born in Redwood City, California on February 5, 1962, to James F. and Patricia Searles. He was the oldest of three children including his younger sister Edith Ann, who passed away at the age of one and his brother Michael, who passed away around the age of 21, and was surrounded by numerous cousins including Matt and Carla P, Amie, Theresa, and Erin, and John Jr. and his brothers later in life and aunts and uncles Patty and Dave, John and Leola, and grandparents. He enjoyed his large extended family, spending both time at his grammy’s cabin at Shasta Lake and time in the summer with his grandparents Rusty and Barber. Family time was very important. 

His family moved to Challis, Idaho when Jim was 10 and ran a back country flying business. Challis provided a strong foundation for the family but for Jim in particular. Jim loved all that Idaho had to offer and enjoyed being outdoors, hunting, hiking and camping, participating in school activities and he also discovered a love of flying. He loved all things flying except for avionics and engineers laboring under the delusion that mechanics have hands the size of small children. He also cultivated several lifelong friendships which became very important when he discovered that he was in kidney failure and needed a transplant. He successfully received his dad’s kidney, which served him well for 25 years.  Jim often mentioned how the Challis community surrounded Jim and his family with love and support during this time in an extraordinary way and expressed amazement and continued gratitude for how his friends embraced and included him in their lives. He attended class reunions and kept in touch with friends of 45 years and those deep bonds of friendship were born out with visits, messages, and calls from several long term friends in the last weeks of his life. 

Life eventually changed and after completing his education at Idaho State University with an A and P he found himself in Las Vegas, working and close to his parents, and roommates with Brian L, who was another lifelong friend. It was a chaotic, emotional time with the unexpected loss of his brother Michael around 21. That was a hard blow from which to recover and Jim was drawn back to Idaho as a result of that loss. He settled into life in the valley and worked for Raytheon, Western, Access, and Life Flight as a helicopter and plane mechanic. He worked on his friend’s planes and did inspections and enjoyed the outdoors. It was on a foray to buy a snowmobile that he met Kati and within a year he had moved to Star, married, and found himself with a wife, a six year old daughter, and 3 dogs! It was a lot for a lifelong bachelor but he embraced all of their life together. In 2003 they found out on April 8th that he was in kidney failure and that Kati was pregnant. In November of 2003 Kayley was born and the family was complete. Jim received a cadaver kidney in 2006 from a 55 year old preschool teacher and it served him for an additional 20 years and was still operating at 70% when he died.  They purchased a new home, worked, took vacations, and lived a full life and he expanded his work knowledge and experience. Jim had wanted to serve in the military but was color blind and so couldn’t fly. He didn’t let that deter him though and was able to go to Afghanistan for 4 years to work alongside troops to provide support to them. He was very grateful and proud to have had that opportunity and felt that he had found a way to serve his country.  He made friends there that became important for the rest of his life and firmed up friendships with others. He went back East to work on helicopters. He was a DOM for a little while and worked for life flight.  He participated in the Masons and Shriners and joined Eagle Christian Church under Pastor Crane. He had many happy events with Kristine graduating from Renaissance High and then College of Idaho and Kayley thriving at Eagle Elementary in choir and art. The family also took a very memorable trip to Disney Land and made several visits to his parents. He had many friends in the valley with which he kept up. He kept in touch with his cousins and friends from around the world including his friend Joe M who connected with Jim in the last weeks of his life by phone. Our family had many happy years together, some of the happiest of our lives. 

As it goes, life changes and Jim found himself in Spring Creek, Nevada for the last 7 years of his life. He found old friends again and joined Livingstones church where he was just taking on a role in the technical group that he found both nerve wracking and fulfilling. He made new friends like Fernando and John C. as well as Robert A. and the men’s group at Livingstone church. He had a lovely, peaceful place in Spring Creek and bought a couple of toys (a Harley and a Camaro) that he enjoyed very much. He devoted his free time to his daughters and travelled up often to see them and his friends.  He was thinking of retiring. Many members of the Elko Reach base contacted and sent cards and messages to Jim as he moved to Boise to seek care.  

The last 3 months of Jim’s life were not what he wanted or expected. We spent hours on testing and waiting and then beginning treatment to which he had an adverse reaction. Hospice became the treatment. The three weeks of hospice care provided an amazing experience as Jim was once again enveloped in love, connection, and friendship such as is seldom seen. People were texting, messaging, calling, and coming to visit him from everywhere daily. They let him know overwhelmingly the impact that he had on their lives. There are no words to express how comforting and uplifting it was to Jim to experience that love. Jim was also able to see and spend time with his parents. Thank you to all who made that possible-it was important and we are grateful. 

We wish to thank Sarah Pearson, FNP who was the MVP in this situation and got Jim to Huntsman Cancer Institute. Her efforts moved the possibility of treatment forward. Thank you to Dr. Katie Kerrigan and her team and the trial director, Shantae, for their efforts to extend Jim’s life. Thank you to St. Alphonsus medical center for the great care he received and specifically the palliative care person Alex and Stephanie and to the hospice team at Copper Falls Hospice, by far the best hospice with which I have worked. The efforts of the hospice nurses Emily and Ann ,as well as Brittany’s efforts were compassionate and professional which allowed Jim to remain comfortable and die with dignity and the least amount of pain. A special thank you to Pastor Tony who faithfully attended to Jim and provided communion for him which was a source of comfort for Jim in his walk of faith with God. 

We wish to give special thanks to Dale and Rob for their help in moving Jim to Boise, Taylor M. for giving Jim a place to be that was peaceful and quiet, Tim and Bonnie C. for the many errands and visits, Mihir for all of his efforts and giving Jim 3 months of freedom to just live, as well as the zucchini bread, which Jim loved in the morning with butter and coffee. Special thanks to Brian Love, who stayed with Jim on his first weekend in hospice and whose presence was invaluable, a source of laughter, care, and comfort while I got everything finished with moving, and Lon for running to the store for treats that Jim wolfed down and all the funny stories, Bert B for his visit just while passing through and Ken J. for a lovely visit on the evening Jim died.  Special thanks to Bob A. for consistent visits to read scripture and learn more about Jim through a great visit with a Challis friend, Ken D. He also gave comfort and assurance to Jim with meaningful scripture read to him just minutes before he died. 

We profusely thank each and every one of you who took time from your lives to let Jim know how important and impactful he was in your lives through calls, texts, messages, and visits. He heard every single one of them.  We recognize how much harder it is to be present for one another in this day and age and take the time so it had great meaning for him. We would ask you to hold Jim’s parents in particular in your thoughts and prayers as they face this devastating loss. Please support and encourage them during this time. 

When someone dies a rich internal world of experiences and memories passes away with them; experiences that are uniquely their own and which no one can know in full. Jim wove a beautiful vibrant tapestry of life, love, loss, hard work, disappointment, determination, resilience and inspiration through the actions of his life. He faced everything and kept going along with purpose. He encouraged others, he kept tens of thousands of people safe through his work, which was meaningful and fulfilling, he was a steady, reliable friend to those that needed him, and he walked his faith quietly and consistently.  Jim, Tiger, Jimmy, Jimmyboy loved and was loved and he will be missed.  

A celebration of life dinner is scheduled for October 17, 2026, from 5-7 at the Cloverdale Event Center. Parking and hotels are close to the center. Please SVP for dinner.  

Arrangements are under the direction of Bowman Funeral Parlor, Garden City. 208-853-3131