James Filler, 74, an Army veteran and retired electrical engineer, died of natural causes Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007, at a local hospital.
A vigil service was held at 5 p.m. Sunday at O’Connor Funeral Home. Funeral Liturgy was at 11 a. m. today at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, with burial at Calvary Cemetery in Havre. Jim was born March 25, 1933, to Mr. and Mrs. Eddie M. Filler in Havre. He graduated from St. Jude’s Elementary School in 1947 and Havre High School in 1951. He was freshman class president and played football and basketball at Havre High, and was the captain of his basketball team his senior year. He attended Northern Montana College from 1951 through 1953, and 1956 to 1957, playing basketball and baseball for the Northern Lights. Jim married Mary Lou Edmondson in September 1953. He entered the service in January 1954 and received an honorable discharge from the Army in January 1956. He attended the University of Washington from 1957 to May 1959, graduating with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering. Jim spent two years working at Douglas Aircraft and Pacific Semiconductors in Los Angeles, Calif. While in California, Jim attended UCLA, taking postgraduate course in semiconductor theory. In 1961, Jim left to join the Boeing Co. To become a liaison engineer on the Minuteman Missile Program at Great Falls and Minuteman bases located in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. He spent 34 years on the missile program, 19 years with the Boeing Co. And 15 years with the government after Boeing left in 1980. He retired in 1995. Jim’s hobbies include golfing, working out at the Wellness Center at MAFB and attending Bison, Argos and NMC sporting events. We have lost a true saint here on earth, but his spirit will be in all of our hearts forever. Jim was a wonderful father, husband, brother and friend to many. He always gave of himself and never wanted anything in return. He was a caretaker to all and he kept trying to take care of others up to the end of his life. He took peoples struggles and worries and carried them on his shoulder. He taught all of us the true meaning of love and he will be missed so much. We are honored to have had such a wonderful man in our lives. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Lou, in 1966; mother and father, Florence Filler in 1988 and Hap Filler in 1981, and brothers, Bud “Ed” Filler and Bill Filler. Survivors include twin sons Donald of Federal Way, Wash., and David (Patty) of Tacoma, Wash., and their daughters McKenna and Haley; daughter Kathleen (Jeff) Noble of Boise. Idaho, and their daughters Nicole and Erin; brothers Dave (Sharon) Filler of Havre and Tom Filler, who lived with Jim since 1988 after his mother and father passed away; and sister Mary (Harry) Guetherman of Great Falls. Memorials are suggested to Holy Spirit Building Fund. Condolences may be posted online at www.gftribune.com/ obituaries.
