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James Steel Tomes of Portland, Oregon passed away in the early hours of September 21st, 2024. He was 97 years old.

James, known as Jim, was born on April 30, 1927 in Milwaukee, WI to parents, William Austin Tomes and Elizabeth Steel, followed shortly by his brother William (Bill) Austin Tomes, Jr. (1929-2015). The first years of his life the family spent following work during the depression from Milwaukee, WI to Cleveland, OH to Evanston, IL and finally to settle in Northbrook, Il in 1940.

Jim’s father was a machine gunner on the Western Front during WWI and came home to marry Elizabeth Steel, the sister of his Army buddy, Wilson. The trauma of that war lived on in William for the rest of his life. Elizabeth was a strong Scottish mother who held the family together through tumultuous times and both boys graduated from Northbrook High School. In looking back on his life, Jim repeatedly shared his view that his life had been full of *serendipity. He would often say, “I worked hard but I also had a lot of luck. I knew a lot of guys who worked hard, but they didn’t have luck.”

First piece of luck: World War II ends.
At the age of 17, Jim graduated in 1944 and immediately enlisted in the army for World War II. He had various placements and training which included a stint at the Pentagon and then on to paratroop training with the 82nd Airborne in Frankfurt am/Main, Germany. When he finished jump school, the war ended. Jim’s regiment, the 508 PIR (Parachute Infantry Regiment) was kept in Europe as the SHAEF honour guard in Frankfurt am/Main. He spent two and a half years in the army. Out of his small high school graduating class of just 30 students, two of his classmates, and two from the class above him, died in the war. He never forgot their names and would recount this story until the very end.

Second piece of luck: The GI Bill.
He never imagined that he’d be the first in his family to go to college, much less law school, Jim returned home in early 1947 and was able to start Northwestern University that spring, thanks to the GI Bill. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1952. Jim was tenacious about his studies and learning. He worked all through college, at one point dropping out for 6 mos to be a bricklayer in order to earn money to continue his studies. In 1950 his studies were once again disrupted when he was called back to active duty in the Air Force during the Korean War. He was ordered to start pilot training but was disqualified due to his terrible eyesight. He served another two and a half years as a flight engineer and crew chief on a B-25 bomber and a C-47 “Gooney Bird” cargo plane based in Enid, OK at Vance Air Force Base. He completed his college requirements for his B.S. at Northwestern during this time by going to night school at Phillips University in Enid. This experience in the Airforce allowed him to have the funds, thanks again to the GI Bill, to continue his education and after being discharged in March of 1953 he was able to begin law school that fall.

Third piece of luck: Meeting Josie.
In 1948 Jim and his Sigma Nu fraternity brother, Bob Dentler were living off campus in an attic apartment, both disillusioned with fraternity life. Bob Dentler’s fiance, Helen Hosmer Dentler, was a friend and sorority sister in the Tri-Delt house with Joann Raymaley (Josie). They insisted that Jim and Josie meet, telling Jim she was the “best read girl at Northwestern”, which immediately piqued Jim’s curiosity. Jim always said that Josie changed his life for the better. Not only did they fall in love but he always credited her interests in the world of the arts, literature, theatre, and music with expanding his
world view; educating him about the world that he didn’t realize existed. After college, Josie went on to work at the Fashion office of the famous Chicago department store, Marshal Fields & Co and then on to have a very long career in the fashion industry in Chicago. They were married in 1954 at the Howes Memorial Chapel on the Northwestern Campus.

Fourth Piece of luck: Family
When they first married, Josie had shared that she wanted a career and not children. Jim said he was fine with that. But, then Josie’s boss at the fashion office shared that her only regret was never having children and Josie realized she wanted both a career and children. Together they welcomed four children into their family, Robert in 1960, twins Elizabeth (Betsy) & John in 1962, and Julia in 1968. They raised their family on the North Shore of Chicago, first in Evanston and then buying a home in Wilmette where they lived for 40 years.

Further blessings: A fruitful career
In 1957, Jim graduated from Chicago Kent Law School, which he attended at night while working first for the Harris Trust & Savings Bank, and then for Berchem, Shwantes & Thuma Trial Lawyers. He graduated with an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) and upgraded to a JD (Juris Doctor). He then practiced with the lawfirm of Petit, Olin, Overmyer, & Fazio. During this time he became involved with the Chicago Bar Association’s defense of indigent prisoner program and the ACLU as a probono volunteer lawyer, speaker, and eventual board member of the Illinois ACLU. Jim had a lifetime devotion to the defense of civil liberties and the ACLU. It was truly one of his greatest concerns and institutions that he supported.

Jim went on to work for several companies in his long career. One of the places that had the biggest impact on his life was his appointment as Assistant General Counsel (1960) and then General Counsel (1961) for Bell & Howell Company. When Bell & Howell became an international conglomerate, Jim was made senior vice president and Chief Executive of the company’s international operations leading him to travel extensively to Europe, Japan, and Asia. He made very good friends around the world and stayed in touch with them for the rest of his life. The opportunity to travel also allowed him to pursue his passion of researching his genealogy. Jim made the difficult decision to leave Bell & Howell in 1974. He went on to work for a series of companies during the 70s and early 80s including U.S. Industries, Filtertek, and Bijur Machine Tool Co.

In 1984 Jim was hired as President and CEO of Federal Publications, a law publisher headquartered in Washington, D.C. owned by the British conglomerate, Pearson. Though still living in Wilmette, Jim commuted weekly to D.C. until he retired in 1997 at the age of 70.

After retirement Jim continued to pursue his many interests. His research in genealogy led him to the Newberry Library. With the library’s support and the many relatives he met, he self published two companion books. Serendipity: The genealogy of Tomes, Steel, Raymaley and Shaeffer families shares the story of his and Josie’s families and his genealogical search. The Meanings of Genealogy for Science and Religion: Science as Prose, Religion as Poetry which is a culmination of his life-long interest in religion and science. Both books were written with the intent to be passed down to his children and grand-children to share his and Josie’s research and knowledge of the world as they saw it.

Josie and Jim belonged to a wide range of organizations. The wedding of their daughter, Betsy, led them to join Trinity Methodist Church in 1986. This was the beginning of a life-long friendship with Reverend Phil Blackwell and his wife Sally. One of the results of this friendship was the creation of the Clampett Lecture Series which offered public lectures on topics of religious or community interest.
Speakers included Madeleine L’Engle, Parker Palmer, Dr. Franklin Littell, Coach Phil Jackson, among others. Jim was also a member of the Caxton Club for which he was Program Chair in 1999 and then President, on the invitation of Dr. Fred Kittle, from 2001-2003.

Jim and Josie were also dedicated supporters of arts and culture in the Chicago area and were members and or season ticket holders of many organizations, theatres, and museums.

Jim and Josie spent their last years in Chicago enjoying extensive travel and great food following their many historical interests around Europe and the United States. In 2014 they left their beloved Chicago to be closer to their daughters in Portland, Oregon. Moving into Cherrywood Village, a retirement community, was an enormous change. However, they were delighted by the wonderful friends they made there and the beautiful community they had joined.

Josie’s passing in 2021 was a great loss for Jim, but he never stopped counting his blessings. He cherished his memories, their life together, their wonderful children and all their friends. On a daily basis he told every physical therapist, caregiver, waiter, friend, and family member that they were “one of his blessings”. He was cheerful and grateful to the very end.

Jim is survived by his four children, Robert (Cynthia), Betsy (Scott), John (Jennifer), and Julia (Art) and his six grandchildren, Elizabeth and John Sandbo, Alex and Kate Tomes, Flora and Erskine Wells, and their many Raymaley and Tomes relatives.

If so inclined, please make a donation to the ACLU as a way to remember Jim and his life’s work.

*Serendipity refers to the art of finding the pleasantly unexpected by chance or sagacity and was invented by eighteenth century wordsmith Sir Horace Walpole.

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James Tomes Obituary | Altogether