Obituary of James M. Shields

James passed away on August 2, 2019, in Portland, OR, surrounded by his family. He packed a lot of life into his 66 years. He was born in Clay Center, KS to Danny and Doris Shields and lived in many western states before the family settled in Portland in 1967. James excelled in whatever he put his mind to. He became an expert skier and shared that joy with others as a ski instructor at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood. His moves were described by some as poetry in motion. Motion in the form of Formula I Grand Prix racing was an attraction and he closely followed the sport. Motion in the form of bicycling, along with his tall frame, led him to build a custom road bike which he enjoyed immensely. A consummate foodie, James enjoyed preparing delicious meals.If you weren’t as his table then the next best thing was at whoever’s table he was eating at. He had a penchant for finding excellent restaurants.He never stopped creating. Even when his body had quit cooperating, his mind was still working. Fed by the challenges and satisfaction of building things, he was drawn to the field of Architecture. He earned an AA in Architectural Technology at Mount Hood Community College (‘73} and after a number of life detours went on to UC Berkeley for BA (’84) and MA (’92) degrees in Architecture. He traveled extensively. He spent six months in Europe after earning his BA, immersing himself the architecture and cultures he had studied.The itinerary was open-ended—the only scheduled dates and cities dictated by Grand Prix races (ALL of them) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.James practiced in the San Francisco bay area for more than 25 years.Elements of many cultures were woven into beautiful spaces and homes he built for his clients.They are all one of a kind. James returned to Portland in 2010 and managed a large industrial project for a brother who was expanding his business. James loved being outdoors.He hiked, biked, skied, and reveled in photographing nature. Inside he was a book fiend, amassing an enviable library.He said he couldn’t bear to part with things that had shaped who he had become. A life-long learner, it was amazing to many his breadth of knowledge on such a wide variety of subjects. He was articulate, and his vocabulary was as precise as his life’s work. He was generous with his skills and truly selfless. He loved and was loved. His concern for others was never far from his actions. He had been his mother’s primary care-taker for several years. A diagnosis of brain cancer (glioblastoma) in 2017 took his, and the whole family’s, breath away.After the initial shock, James concluded that every day was a gift and worthy of making joyful. He diligently led that charge and had two years of relatively complication-free survivorship before the cancer advanced and took him down. He continued to create, installing beautiful Zen gardens at his home, travel, and strive for deeper levels of love. James was pre-deceased by his father Danny. He is survived by mother Doris, son James Jr., and siblings Gary, William (Ruthie), Cheryl St. Paul, Kathy Shields-Roeter (Dick), and Michael (Cindy). Many cousins, nieces and nephews, and a few aunts will be terribly missing him as will his friends and providers. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2019, at 3:00pm.Location is Taborspace, 5441 SE Belmont Street, Portland, OR 97215