James Evan Dickinson

Funeral services were held 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, at Community Presbyterian Church, 417 N. Williams St. in Post Falls Idaho, for James Evan Dickinson, 68, who passed away Jan. 5, 2010.

Jim was born in July 16, 1942, in Spirit Lake to Robert and Evelyn Dickinson. Jim, being one of five children, was extremely close to family to this day.

From his dad, Jim acquired a lifetime of fishing in the great lakes of Iowa and it continued throughout his life. At age 5, Jim would be on his bike on summer days fishing the lakes of Dickinson County and would bring home a mess of fish for dinner.

Jim also loved playing basketball and enjoyed dogs from an early age.

Jim graduated from Spirit Lake High School. In 1964, he and his young wife Sabelle, loaded up the VW, Jim full of wanderlust and headed to California to pursue the American Dream.

Jim and Sabelle had two children, Jamie and Jennifer, and worked two jobs to support their small family.

Jim worked in several different fields before being recruited by Allstate. He started his insurance career at the Ponoma Sears store in 1967 as a booth insurance agent. Both Jennifer and JD remember helping his dad on Saturdays passing out brochures in exchange for a Burger King Whopper. Jennifer helped her dad clean the office and was rewarded with going to Winchell's and picking out two donuts for a job well done.

Though Jim earned many prestigious awards in his Allstate career, he was bit by the entrepreneurial bug opening his own agency in 1973. He built a successful business but, being a small-town boy, he wanted to find a better place to work and play; Post Falls, Idaho. He purchased Boersma-McCormick Insurance and officially opened James E. Dickinson Insurance Inc. in 1984.

The fact he looked exactly like Frederick Post (founder of the town) was a coincidence he enjoyed. In 1988, as Post Falls Chamber President, he hit up donors and convinced Gov. Cecil Andrus to come cut the ribbon of the new chamber building. Jim was elected once again as Chamber President in 1991. In 2000, having worked together for many years, Jim decided to sell to his son, J.D., and continued to mentor and guide him until retiring in 2007.

In 1995, Jim married Deborah Curtis of Post Falls and enjoyed 14 years plus of wonderful marriage, both retiring in 2007, enjoying their loving dogs, family and traveling. In Jim's retirement, he was able to pursue his love of golf, which was evident by golfing every day from March until the snow flew in the fall.

Deborah's children, Justin and Courtney Curtis, enjoyed a great relationship with Jim including wonderful dinners together and, of course, fishing trips.

Jim enjoyed spending time with his eight grandchildren, Jaqueline, David, Connor, Wyatt, Joshua, Morgan, Isabella and Noah.

Jim and Deborah's favorite places included Hawaii, the Oregon coast, going to California to visit his daughter and her family and lastly their beautiful home on the Spokane River.

Survived by wife Deborah Dickinson, sister's Gail (and husband Alan) Reimenschnider and Kay Franker; brother Dan (and wife Shirley) Dickinson; children, J.D. (and wife Tracy) Dickinson, Jennifer (and husband Jon) Yanez. Justin (and wife Heather) Curtis and Courtney Curtis (and husband Matt Zigler).

Also included are grandchildren Jaqueline, David, Wyatt and Morgan Dickinson, Connor and Joshua Yanez, Isabellea Zigler and Noah Curtis.