August 26, 1925 — April 12, 2024
James Andrew Taylor Jr. (Jim), affectionately known on the Columbia River as Captain Jack, peacefully passed away on April 12, 2024, at the age of 98.
Jim was born at Rideout Hospital in Marysville, CA, on August 26, 1925, to his loving parents, James and Mary (Cassano) Taylor. Baby Jim’s first home was a road crew tent. Although the Great Depression consumed the hopes and dreams of many, the Taylor family went on to find a home in Downieville, CA, circa 1930. There, he and his younger brother Charles “Buddy” were educated in a one-room schoolhouse until 1938, when his father took work and moved the family to Esparto, CA.
At the age of 17 and the height of World War II, Jim enlisted in the United States Navy’s Officer Training Program, where he studied at Marquette University and Lawrence College. After completing his training, Jim was placed in command of a freight vessel in Miami, FL, that he would navigate through the Panama Canal to San Francisco. The war ended, and after three years of service, Jim was honorably discharged on July 23, 1946.
Jim’s experience, with the help of a friend, led him to work on the mighty Columbia River as a tugboat captain and then office manager with Tidewater Barge Lines. It was during this time that he acquired the nickname Jack because one of his shipmates thought that with his large stature and beard, he looked like a lumberjack. The name Jack stuck with him throughout his professional career. Jim went on to work for Willamette Tug and Barge, where, among other things, he had the rare honor of piloting the Sternwheeler Portland.
On November 21, 1959, Jim married the love of his life, (Mary) Louise Pisani. It wasn’t long before the couple moved to a beautiful little farmhouse in the Walnut Grove neighborhood of Vancouver, WA, where they had a pasture for animals, an orchard, a large garden, raised three children, and cared for his parents until their passing. Jim and Louise were passionate about gardening. Jim loved to come up with ideas that would make farming easier. He was a gardener, handyman, and tinkerer who passed those passions onto his children.
Jim became a Columbia River Pilot in 1975, steering the big ships up and down the Columbia River for 17 years. After retirement, Jim enjoyed traveling, restoring his 1925 Ford Model T, and volunteering with the Oregon Maritime Museum. He spearheaded the restoration of the Sternwheeler Portland that had fallen into disrepair. With the sternwheeler back in operation, Jim became its pilot once again, taking visitors down the Willamette River on special cruises. He was even in the 1994 film Maverick as the ship’s captain, where the Sternwheeler Portland was used as the backdrop.
Jim loved his family, home, and garden. Until the end, Jim faithfully visited and corresponded with family and friends through handwritten notes, email, and even Facebook. It was fitting that in his final few days, Jim was cared for at The Ray Hickey Hospice House as Jim and Ray Hickey had been good friends since his early days at Tidewater.
We were so blessed to have our beloved father with us, actively participating with the family — in his home — until his last days. He was so loved and will be missed as the cornerstone of our family.
Jim’s wife Louise preceded him in death in May 2023. He is survived by his three children, James A. Taylor III, Joseph R. Taylor (wife Julie), and AnnMarie Taylor Haldeman (husband Jay), and by his four grandchildren, who brought him such great joy: Hannah Taylor, Adam Haldeman, Bridget Taylor, and Drew Taylor.
James A. Taylor Jr. will be buried on April 29, 2024, at Mother Joseph Cemetery, next to his wife, Louise, and his parents, James and Mary.
The family would like to thank the exceptional caregivers who supplemented family care and enabled our father to live in his longtime residence.
Memorial donations may be made to the Sternwheel Portland – Oregon Maritime Museum and the Clark County Food Bank of Washington.