James Richard Zigler

James Richard "Jim" Zigler was born in the small town of West Unity, Ohio, to Dale and Florence Zigler. His family owned the general store, and as a child, Jim helped out by stocking shelves and learning to drive the Model T delivery truck when he was just 11. At Hilltop High School he was voted class president and played on both the basketball and baseball teams. He went on to attend DePauw University and Ft. Wayne Business College before being drafted into the U.S. Army during WWII. Stationed at Ft. Amador, Panama, he was the assistant to the Fort Commander and also helped run the golf course near the base, which fostered his lifelong love of the game.

He was later transferred to Camp Adair in Corvallis, where he earned the rank of Master Sergeant. In 1944 he married Ruth Barger, an Army nurse, and after the war they moved to Salem, where Jim became an auditor for the State Tax Commission. Jim and Ruth had two children, Richard (deceased) and Mary, but divorced in 1947. On Oct. 11, 1949 Jim married Marjorie Price and they enjoyed 58 happy years together before "Maggie" passed away in 2007. Jim also served in the Korean War, where he was an instructor at the Army Food Service School at the Presidio in San Francisco.

After the war, Jim and Maggie returned to Salem where he worked as an accountant at Valley Packing Co., and they had a daughter, Annette. In 1962, Jim decided to pursue his longtime dream of owning a restaurant and bought Randall's Chuck Wagon with his brother-in-law, Bob Price. They managed it successfully for eight years but eventually decided to sell and Jim resumed his career with the State of Oregon. He worked for the Department of Continuing Education and later became Assistant to the Administrator for the Oregon State Division of Mental Health before retiring in 1980.

Never one to sit idle, Jim kept busy managing the bar at Salem Golf Club for several years and canvassing for the U.S. Census Bureau. After Maggie passed away, he moved to Calaroga Terrace, an independent living retirement complex in Portland, where he served on the Renters Association Board and worked as a cashier at the resale shop.

Throughout his life Jim maintained a strong work ethic instilled in him by his Midwestern roots, but he also enjoyed many happy hours golfing and playing his weekly gin rummy game with a close-knit group of buddies. He was a loving husband and family man and continually inspired others with his kindness, sense of humor and positive attitude.

Jim is survived by daughters, Mary Shires (Jerry, deceased) and Annette Bendinelli (Mark); five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A funeral Mass will be held at Noon, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, at Holy Rosary Church, with an 11 a.m. coffee hour preceding it at the church's Siena Hall. Following the Mass, there will be military honors at 2 p.m., in Willamette National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Providence Child Center.