Jim Ferguson
James Austin Ferguson
11 Oct 1959 - 12 Oct 2022
Clubs & Associations
Emerald City Cloggers
Puddletown Squares
Obituary
James Austin Ferguson, 63, passed away peacefully in his Seattle WA home on October 12. James (Jim) was preceded in death by his mother Anne Michel and his father Alvin Ferguson. He is survived by his stepfather Eugene Michel, his brothers Tom Ferguson, Kevin Ferguson, and sisters Joanne Ferguson, Karen Crockett, Candace Harris Ferguson and Melanie Zestapoule. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews and many friends and co-workers who loved him and by his cat, Sophie.
Jim had colorectal cancer and had been battling this horrible disease for at least the past year and a half but just didn’t know it, and was only recently diagnosed. He passed away quietly in his home with his loving sister Joanne and her partner Jeri by his side-only 41 days after his diagnosis.
Jim was born on October 11th, 1959, in Spokane WA and graduated from Joel E. Ferris high school in 1978. He joined the Army shortly thereafter and subsequently graduated from the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in 1979 as a Russian electronic warfare signals intelligence interceptor. He was assigned to the field station Augsburg in Germany. Jim loved languages and while still in high school became fluent in German. He loved German culture and people and since he also loved to sing, he tried out and was accepted into the Augsburg city choir - a rarity for an American to achieve.
Jim left the army after his four-year commitment and worked for a brief time in Cincinnati OH. He then re-enlisted in the Army as a Korean Linguist again graduating from DLI with honors. He was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division U.S. Army South Korea, and as always, he embraced the local culture and people. One memory of Korean culture that Jim always shared was an encounter he had on a city bus in Seoul. Note that when Jim told this story he would always express it in Korean and then translate it for us to English. Well, this big 6’2” Caucasian male was sitting on the bus minding his own business and noticed two young Korean girls conversing between themselves mentioning Jim. He never really shared what exactly they said about him, but let’s just say it wasn’t very nice. He only shared the part where when he was exiting the bus, he told the girls to have a nice day in Korean (joeun-haru-bonaeseyo)! He would then act out the expressions on their faces when they realized that he understood Korean. After his tour in Korea, he was then assigned to Fort Lewis WA as a linguist/analyst in the technical control analysis element in the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion.
After completing his enlistment Jim settled in Seattle and worked in the Verizon Wireless call center for 15 years. Sadly, the entire staff was laid off because it was too costly for the company to maintain the salaries of these professionals and their expertise. But what was most important to Jim was the friendships he made along the way, and he remained friends with many of them up until the day he passed. His most recent job was as a medical courier at the University of Washington's Transfusion Services laboratory. He enjoyed what he did every single day because of the interactions with his fellow employees, supervisors, and everyone else he met along the way. They appreciated and understood just how special Jim was and what a huge heart he had!
Later in life Jim was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome which made sense because he was always so brilliant and often misunderstood - especially in high school. Even as early as when he was seven years old, he had memorized all of the 100 blocks in Spokane WA. He could also give great detail on every organ in Spokane. He loved to sing and adored music, especially classical music. He did however have a very eclectic taste and enjoyed pop, soul, European electric, and everything in between-not so much country except for Dolly.
Jim loved old movies, British and German comedies and mysteries. He could quote the most popular lines from the British comedy series Absolutely Fabulous using the perfect British accent. He also loved to dance and while in junior high school took up square dancing with his sister Joanne and their parents. Square dancing became a passion that he continued throughout his life. He also became an accomplished clogger and was a member of the Emerald City Cloggers. In a popular YouTube video Jim was seen executing a simple routine and dropping his cane which is quite embarrassing for an accomplished dancer, but Jim just scooped it up and continued in his cute elf outfit.
Jim was a proud gay man and very passionate about supporting his community and was also very involved in politics. Most importantly he was a devout Christian and began his spiritual journey as a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Spokane, Washington.
In lieu of flowers etc., Jim, his family and friends strongly encourage everyone to see their doctor regularly and to be screened frequently to include colonoscopy, mammogram, prostate exams etc. If you have any abnormal health symptoms, please seek medical assistance!
A memorial will be held in Seattle after the first of the year to ensure his loved ones will be able to attend. Not a day goes by without thinking of you, Jim! We count the days until we can celebrate your life together and share our precious memories – they are just too numerous to ever recount!
— Joanne Ferguson (Jim's sister) via facebook
Remembrances
Very sad. I enjoyed dancing with Jim and the many conversations we had. I will miss him. My sincere condolences.
— Michael Zalter
So sorry to hear, my brother shares a birthday with him. Awww may he rest in peace. Yellow rocks to family and friends...
— Peter Huschilt
So sorry to hear this. He was always such a friendly soul.
— John Mckinstry
Always a smile, just a wonderful guy.
— Kevin Chaulk
felt sympathy for the loss of a longtime friend
— Judy Falkowski
My deepest condolences for your loss. May he rest in eternal peace
— Nancy Daugherty
We always had interesting conversations, and I will miss those. May we all be richer for the encounters we have. Yellow rocks, Jim!
— Theresa Van de Ven
This one hurts. A lot. Jim was always very shy around me, but once I got him talking, he was incredibly engaging. (And, of course, he was one of my favorite dance partners at fly-ins and conventions.)
— Allan Hurst
