James Ralph Lathrop

James Ralph Lathrop (Col. Jim) was born December 1,1935, in Madison, Wis. He passed away peacefully June 9, 2015, surrounded by friends and family.

He was the sixth child of Ralph and Dessa Lathrop. He was baptized at the Congregational Church in Columbus, Wis. At the age of five, his family moved to Seattle. He graduated from Broadway High School in Seattle and earned his BA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

He later went on to complete many military schools while in service at the Pentagon and elsewhere. He served in the army during the Vietnam War, where he built a school for Vietnamese children, and in 2003 he traveled with son James to the site of the school, which was still there, and people who remembered him and his service to the community. He was able to serve one last time during Desert Storm.

In 2006, he traveled the perimeter of the U.S. on motorcycles with son Nate and dog Sprocket (who was in a sidecar). After more than 30 years in the army, he was discharged with the rank of Lt. Colonel.

He married Dianna Klineburger, whom he met while going to college in Ellensburg. They were later divorced, and have two boys and two grandchildren. He is survived by Dianna and his sons Nathaniel and James Russell, two grandchildren, Sean and Nickolas, all in the Seattle area. He is also survived by sisters Dorothy Amstrup and Esther Lathrop, both of Tucson, Ariz.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Trayton and sisters Betty and Mary Lou. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial funds to: Pastor Toby Riddall at the Nile Valley Church, 60 Bedrock Lane, Naches, WA 98937. A Memorial Service will be at held at 2 p.m. June 27, at the Nile Valley Church. A military memorial service with the placement of a plaque at his parents' gravesite will be held at a later date in Tucson, Ariz.