Charle "Jim" Colwell

Dr. Charles "Jim" Colwell (79) died peacefully in his home on December 9th following 21 years of living with Parkinsons Disease. He was born on October 12th, 1945, in Abilene, Texas to Robert "Count" and Aida Lou Colwell. He grew up in Park River, North Dakota where he spent many hours outdoors enjoying the recreation the river had to offer.

Following high school, Jim attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks for six years. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in biology, he applied for medical school and a master's degree in forestry and wildlife.

Being undecided due to his love of both options, decided that whoever accepted him first would be his chosen path. Medicine won. Following completion of his first two years at the University of North Dakota, he moved to Minneapolis where he completed his medical school education at the University of Minnesota. He was then accepted into one of the first 3-year family practice residency programs located at Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. During the summer between his second and third year of training he met his wife Amy Johnson at his best friend's wedding. They married in 1975. Following completion of his residency program he opened his own office in Plymouth, a suburb of Minneapolis. In 1981 they welcomed their son Christopher and in 1984, their daughter Jessica. By 1985 he had become very discouraged with big city medicine and together, he and Amy decided to move to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico where he had been hired by the small­ town hospital. Two and a half years later realizing that family medicine could not offer him the family life he wished for he returned to the University of Minnesota to obtain a master's degree in public health, a prerequisite for becoming an Occupational Medicine physician. In 1993 he accepted a position at Rockwood Clinic in Spokane. He eventually opened his own practice treating the injured workers of which there were many. In 2008 he was asked to join Northwest Orthopedics. Two years later he retired.

Though Jim loved being a physician, it was never what defined him. It was all his other interests: designing one of two homes he helped build, remodeling three others, gardening, woodworking, landscaping, hunting, fishing and camping, skiing, and travel. Oh yes and playing bridge. A close friend once said he had the energy of five men. He loved his family and his friends, always opening his home to others. He and Amy invited his mother Aida Lou to move in, in 1995 after his father had passed away and she lived with them till she died in 2009. Jim was a man of faith, helping start Colbert Presbyterian Church in 1997. He served as an elder and along with his friend Susan Russell helped create the New Hope Resource Center, a faith based social service agency located on the church's campus.

Jim is survived by his wife, Amy Johnson-Colwell; and their children, Christopher Colwell (Ahnna) and Jessica Colwell (Drew); and Cora, the grandchild. He is also survived by Linda Fagerholt (Mark), his first wife; their daughter, Thea Zickerman (Mike); and Thea's children, Jolayne Zandaroski (Mitchell), Preston Killeen; and a great-grandson, Rhodes; his brother, John Colwell (Connie); sisters-in- law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and the resulting "greats". Those who went before included his father, "Count" Colwell; his mother, Aida Lou Colwell; and his brothers, Bob Colwell and Doug Colwell.

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held on January 6th, at 2:00pm, at Colbert Presbyterian Church, 4211 E. Colbert Rd., Colbert, WA 99005.