James "Jim" M. Foode

James “Jim” Foode passed away peacefully in his home in Ellensburg, Washington on January 25, 2020, surrounded by his son Frank and his wife Teresa (Sloan). He was 88 years old. Jim was born in Cordova, Alaska where he lived for most of his life. Jim is best remembered as an outstanding aircraft mechanic and an exceptional pilot. Jim owned and operated Chitina Air Service from 1980 through 1986. It was while serving the herring roe on kelp season in 1980 that he met Teresa, and they were married the following year. Anyone who fished the Sound or the Flats in the 80s can remember Jim and his beloved Cessna 185 flying fishermen to and from their boats. Jim also flew many med-evac flights, often in marginal weather conditions, to rescue his fellow Cordovans. In his younger days Jim held many jobs, from sweeping the hangar floors for Merle “Mudhole” Smith as a teenager, to delivering the mail by boat around the Sound, to mechanic/flight engineer on Cordova Airlines’ DEWLINE contracts. Jim seldom recorded his flights in a formal logbook, but a good estimate is 30,000 hours of flight time without a single accident. Jim was instrumental in the founding of the Chugach Alaska Corporation and for recognition of the Village of Eyak. Jim and Teresa moved to Washington in 1986. He is survived by his daughter Gale of Anchorage, son Frank of Aberdeen, daughter Jamie of Cordova, and wife Teresa of Ellensburg. He was predeceased by his son, Mark. Jim was the last of his siblings who included John, George, Thomas, Richard, Charles, Mattie (Robbins), Mabel (Heaton), Merci (Bonzer), Betty (Lightner), Esther (Mulcahy), June (Anderson), and an infant brother.  Arrangements by Steward & Williams in Ellensburg.