Thursday, October 1, 2026
With heavy hearts we announce the passing of James Edward Phegley, also known as Jim, Jimmy, Big Jim, Dad, Grandpa or the Commish, who passed away at 88 on Feb. 9, 2026.
Born in Bremerton, Washington, on Oct. 27, 1937, during the Great Depression to James Melvin Slagle and Sarah Lucille Hughes. Sarah remarried and Jim was raised and adopted by stepfather Ernie Phegley.
Jim’s early years were marked by military family travels across the United States. He lived in Virginia, Illinois and the East Bay attending four different high schools. The family settled in Port Townsend where Ernie served as Chief of Police.
Jim graduated from Port Townsend High School, lettering in basketball and was voted most absent-minded. He also ran the one stoplight in town during his first driving test and still passed.
After graduating from Port Townsend High School in 1955 he continued at Western Washington University and Long Beach State eventually earning a teaching degree at the University of Washington.
He briefly served in the Marine Corps and was honorably discharged. A few Camp Pendleton Marine anecdotes were about a cool panther tattoo he thought about but never got and The Everly Brothers were in basic training at the same time.
Jim taught at Louisa Boren Junior High School in Seattle, Washington, for one year and helped with after school sports. In 1965, he met and married Millicent Nancy Phegley (Mitzie). They met living on houseboats on Lake Union.
They shared love and life for 60 years and had two children, Michael James Phegley and Constance Marie Phegley. Jim is survived by his sister, Donna Joyce Freitas, sisters-in-law Cynthia Sheridan, Pauline Slagle and five grandchildren: Rosemarie, Theo, Felix, Sara, and Jude. James was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Harold and Elmer Slagle.
Jim and Mitzie moved to California from Seattle and he applied to law school at age 32 and the rejection letter said, "age." Jim worked for the Olympia Brewing Company from 1967-1983 where work and social life combined to make friends for life selling beer in California, Montana and Iowa while traveling to Hawaii and Germany.
In 1983, he built and operated the Office Tavern in Tumwater, Washington, for over 40 years, where he remained active until his passing, often rolling quarters from the pool tables until the end.
An infamous golfer and member of the Olympia Golf and Country Club, Jim put in a strong three-year run as Santa at the Santa breakfast, and hit not one, but two holes in one. Jim was a devoted Husky football season ticket holder for 39 seasons. Both of his children attended and graduated from UW.
Jim enjoyed reading, telling stories, recalling obscure sports and history trivia, calling his grandkids doodlebugs, whistling through his teeth, finishing NY Times crossword puzzles with a pen, crooning to country music, and composing his annual witty Christmas letters.
He was hilarious, masterful at multi-child, dog, blanket wrestling with the signature stepover toe hold move, bought Mitzie over 20 nutcrackers from Drees every Christmas until he was banned and had watched every episode of CSI Law and Order at least three times if not more.
He collected coins and baseball hats and probably read over 1,000 books. Jim was the selector and namer of all family dogs, and once chose to play blackjack in Tahoe instead of watching Elvis (Mitzie saw the Elvis show and still has not forgiven him!)
He kept company with a troupe of boisterous pirate like friends with missing digits and eyeballs, who had fat shiny money clips, and cigars who showed up in clouds of cologne wheeling and dealing in real estate, cars and gambling pools.
If you did not hang out at these gatherings, it was not quiet and you missed out. You might see someone fall over backwards in a lawn chair, do a flip off the diving board into the pool in full business attire or completely lose their bathing suit while water skiing. As a child you might get a finger stub in your ear or have someone pretend to bite your arm off. It was all good fun, all the time. Jim’s ox like strength continued until the end.
He was crazy lucky to have a liver and kidney transplant that lasted 20 years and wanted to write a letter to the donors but was told that was not a thing anymore. He woke up from the transplant surgery and requested chicken skin to eat, not the meat, just the skin.
The stories are endless of what a funny, witty, unique, rough but sweet person Jim was. For those who knew him may the memories and stories and laughter you shared with him continue for all your days.
Jim was laid to rest in Masonic Memorial Park with immediate family. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Jim will be and is already deeply missed by all those who were fortunate enough to know him.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to Washington Rowing.
