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It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing on August 31, 2026, of James Douglas Crain, beloved father, partner, brother, and friend.
Jim was born in San Diego, California, on Oct. 9, 1954, to James Dean Crain and Norma Patricia Souder. He spent his childhood moving around the country with his mother and two sisters, as his father was a pilot in the United States Navy. He graduated in 1972 from Coronado High School in San Diego and then served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1974 to 1978. His most memorable station was Kodiak, Alaska, where he served as quartermaster aboard the icebreaker Storis, witnessing incredible marine life and occasionally boarding Russian fishing vessels for inspections.
After finishing with the Coast Guard, he worked in the oil fields in New Mexico for a couple of years. In July of 1981, as he was being snowed on while getting an oil rig unstuck, he decided to go to college. He received his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the University of New Mexico in 1985 and a Master of Civil Engineering from the University of California at Davis in 1994. His engineering career included work for private companies in New Mexico and Colorado and twenty years working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Portland District, where he was an expert in modeling of the Columbia River and its tributaries to support navigation, public safety, and environmental restoration.
Jim pursued many interests over the years. He was a prolific reader, cinephile, and had an encyclopedic memory. He swam competitively in high school, enjoyed scuba diving, motorcycle riding, backpacking, painting, and flying. In 2007, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, with his wife joining him for the first 800 miles. Then in 2009 and 2010, he became a father of two beautiful children and the family moved from Eugene to Hood River in 2012. He will be missed immensely by his family and always remembered for his intelligence, humor, kindness, and ability to do anything he set his mind to.
Jim is survived by his wife, Cindy Thieman; children, Noah and Sam Crain; loved-one, Page Taylor; sister, Stephanie Meyers; and nieces, Katie Wallace, Audrey Pearson, Stephanie Meixner, Erin Neel, and Caroline Sanders. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Deborah Crain.
Jim was particularly fond of his many dogs and cats over the years, and they of him. In this spirit, we ask that any memorial donations go to Hood River Adopt A Dog. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. at Timberline Lodge. Memories or condolences may be shared with the family at www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com.
Columbia Gorge News, Oct. 7, 2026
To plant a tree in memory of James Crain as a living tribute, please visit Tribute Store.
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