April 16, 1938 – August 22, 2023
James Woody Packard Sr. (Jim) died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 85 on August 22, 2023, with his loving wife of 64 years, Joyce, by his side. Jim was born on April 16, 1938, in Seattle, Washington, the oldest son of Glen and Kay (née Woody) Packard. At an early age Jim’s family moved to Woodinville where several generations of the family have lived, and still continue to live, in the family home.
Jim and Joyce met when they were elementary school age and started dating in high school. Both graduated from Bothell High School (classes of 1956 and 1958, respectively), and they were married on March 20, 1959. Jim spent most of his adult life as a truck driver, a job he excelled at and thoroughly enjoyed, rarely missing a day of work until his retirement in 2004. He was gifted mechanically and loved working on cars and other projects with friends and family, passing down tools and skills to his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He and Joyce spent a significant amount of their time in retirement traveling in their RV, visiting family and friends throughout the country, and especially loved their time spent soaking up the sun in the southwest.
Jim was an extraordinarily kind, friendly, and loving man, with a tremendous sense of humor. He made friends easily and was always available to assist in any way. He passionately loved, and was loved by, his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other family members and his many, many friends. His grandchildren and great- grandchildren were a particular delight, and he loved spending time with them all, always ready to play with the little ones and frequently to be found supporting and cheering on the older kids at their various sporting events and recitals.
Jim is survived by his wife Joyce; his son Jim (Anne); his daughter Tami; and Jim & Anne’s three children Rachel (Matt, and their two children Jack & James), Woody (fiancé Emily), and Joel (Nicole, and their three children Lilian, Liam, and Naomi). He is also survived by his younger brother Bill and his “slightly older sister” (his words) Sally. He was a rare man, and we miss him tremendously; it is impossible to do him justice in these few short paragraphs.
