James “Jim” Bradley Goes, 65, a longtime resident of Cottage Grove, Ore., passed away on Feb. 26, 2024.
Jim was born on April 7, 1958 to Jack and Jean (Becker) Goes in Seattle, Wash. He grew up in Washington and Idaho with his siblings, John and Jill. From a young age, Jim loved the outdoors, with favorite family memories centering around camping trips on the Oregon coast.
Jim graduated from Idaho State University, obtained an MBA from the University of Utah, and in 1989 completed his formal education with a PhD awarded by the University of Oregon. His career was spent teaching and consulting on corporate strategy, organization theory, entrepreneurship, and public health. He held faculty positions with several universities, and taught for more than a decade in the Oregon Executive MBA program. He co-authored a book on dissertation writing with Dr. Marilyn Simon and coached dozens of doctoral students through their dissertation processes. His research and writing were recognized with awards from the Academy of Management, A. T. Kearney, and the American College of Healthcare Executives. In 2013, Jim was selected as a Fulbright Fellow by the US Department of State and taught at PUMBA, the Department of Management Sciences at the University of Pune, India.
In 1987, Jim met his future wife Susan on a backpacking trip to Husband Lake in Oregon’s Three Sisters Wilderness. They were married in 1991 and spent their honeymoon on a Sierra Club service project in the rugged backcountry of Denali National Park in Alaska. Favorite adventures over the years included kayaking in Glacier Bay National Park, hiking the Na Pali Coast in Hawaii, and cross-country skiing in Yellowstone National Park.
After living in Montana, Minnesota, and Alaska, Jim and Susan eventually settled back in Oregon. In 1998, they bought a rural property near Dorena Lake where they raised their two sons and planted way too many fruit trees. An avid gardener, Jim spent as much time as possible outdoors, tending vegetable and flower beds and trying to keep Himalayan blackberries and poison oak at bay (with mixed success). When he wasn’t working or cultivating the family property, Jim enjoyed hiking, traveling, reading, and playing Scrabble. Jim volunteered on the South Lane School Board and the Lane Coalition for Healthy Active Youth. He was deeply committed to ensuring the success of the next generation.
Jim leaves behind many who love him and will miss him. He is survived by his wife Susan; his sons Christopher and Matthew; his brother John Goes (Annette); his sister Jill Selders (Gary); sisters-in-law Sandra Walden and Judith Walden (Michael Ream); nephews John, Justin, Lucas, and Kent Goes; niece Sofia Ream; and his “practically family” friends Scott Maier and Judy Shaw, and their children Madeleine and Jo; along with many other dear friends and colleagues. He was predeceased by his parents, parents-in-law, and his brother-in-law Neil Whitesell.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Friday, April 12 at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, 1685 W. 13th Ave.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s memory may be made to Cottage Theatre in Cottage Grove, where Jim’s family has been involved for 20 years, or Beyond Toxics in Eugene, where Jim formerly served on the Advisory Board.
Online condolences may be expressed at smithlundmills.com
