James William Hager

James William Hager passed away peacefully from pulmonary fibrosis on the evening of May 16, 2026 in Moscow, Idaho.

Jim was born on November 11, 1948 in Frankfurt, Germany. He was known for his big personality, passionate opinions on a wide range of topics, and storytelling. His favorite stories were autobiographical: tales of his rock-and-roll "garage band" as a teen in the 1960s; of his success as a state champion swimmer in Missouri; or of long days catching octopuses in the Puget Sound.

With both a CPA and MBA, Jim had a successful career as an auditor in the state of Washington. He traveled widely, and met a wide range of colorful characters. Even after retirement, he taught accounting systems and fraud courses at a variety of colleges: nothing could slow his frenetic energy. Once Jim got going, his work stories expanded to jobs of astonishing variety: home developer, real estate investor, logger, fisherman, school administrator, science fiction author, and IT consultant. He was one man, but had the career breadth of three or four.

Jim often told long stories of his travels in far-flung places. On his office wall he proudly displayed photos: astride a camel at the pyramids, or atop China's Great Wall. He loved Turkey. He skied, scuba dived, lifted weights, and ran long distances.

Jim was full of love for the people that he was closest to. One of Jim's main passions was helping and mentoring. He often had advice for people that he cared about. He would warn of the dangers of business, recommend literacy in accounting, and promote international travel, often in the same sentence. He was stubborn and loyal, and always spoke with passion and insistence. One of his greatest joys was celebrating the accomplishments of those he loved.

Jim will be greatly missed by a large extended family and many friends. He is survived by his companion of 8 years Katie Gallagher, and her family; sons Mikael Hager of Snohomish, WA, James Hager of Homedale, ID, and Josh (Susen) Hager and grandson Adrian Hager of Anaheim, CA; and sister Marty Holder of Springfield, MO.