Obituaries

Dr. Sidney “Jim” James Wise of Seattle, Washington passed away peacefully on January 21^st, surrounded by his three daughters.

A beloved father, grandfather, and friend, he will be deeply missed.

Jim was born in 1939 to parents Lucy and Clarence Wise, and had an older sister, Mary Ann.  He spent his childhood in Allegan, Michigan, where at an early age he developed a love of nature and gardens from his mother, walking in the woods and fishing in the creek with his father, and swimming and boating with family and friends on the shores of Lake Michigan. Taking the train with fellow scouts across the country to attend The Boy Scout Jamboree in California was a highlight of his childhood, and immediately instilled in him a lifelong love for adventure and travel.

He learned to drive on his great uncle’s farm tractor and bought his first car at age 14. His love of classic and sports cars remained throughout his life, decades later winning awards (including the coveted “Top Flight Award” from the National Corvette Restorers Society) for his restoration of a cherry-red 1963 Corvette Stingray split-window coupe.

In high school Jim excelled at basketball, track, and football. He sang in the glee club, played French horn in the band, enjoyed music of the 50’s, and danced the night away at sock hops.  When his parents opened their home to a German exchange-student, Uta Strauven, Jim gained a second sister and lifelong friend overseas.

Graduating with a BS in Zoology from Michigan State University, Jim married and moved with his wife Lori to Ann Arbor to attend dental school, earning his DDS at the University of Michigan (GO BLUE!).  After graduation, Jim and Lori moved to Germany for two years, where he served as a Captain in the US Army, and they welcomed their first of three daughters.

Jim and Lori maximized their time abroad, exploring and taking opportunities to traverse the continent.  Jim’s passions for photography, cuisine, architecture, and art history flourished and his world perspectives were forever broadened — serving him well as a compassionate father, friend, and surgeon to the end.

From Germany, Jim and Lori moved to Seattle where he furthered his training at the University of Washington, specializing in periodontal surgery and teaching at the UW School of Dentistry.  Opening his practice in 1970, Jim was one of the first periodontists in Bellevue. A skilled surgeon with a magnetic (though modest) personality, Jim earned profound respect from his patients, colleagues, and staff alike.

Together Jim and Lori’s discerning eyes for design enabled them to build a custom French-inspired home where they surrounded themselves with family and friends.  They opened their home to international students, exposing their girls to different cultures and traditions.

His enthusiasm for his daughters’ and grandchildren’s pastimes was clear.  Jim was often found, camera and video devices in hand, documenting performances, recitals, games, and meets.  He was unconditionally loving, proud, supportive, and pushed his family to follow their dreams without limitation.

Jim loved riding his Harley-Davidson through winding mountain passes, boating and waterskiing on Lake Washington, navigating, and fishing in the San Juan Islands and British Columbia on the “Mackinaw” (so named after Mackinac Island, Michigan), skiing fresh tracks, hunting, lying in the sun, and spending lazy days by his fireplace watching the Seahawks or Big Ten football… cherishing it all with those he held close.

Happy memories made on frequent family ski trips to Sun Valley, Idaho motivated him to move there for most of his retirement: a years-long “vacation” filled with skiing, motorcycling (both on- and off-road), golfing, hiking (reluctantly), horseback riding, rafting, grilling, sledding with the grandkids, and enjoying the peaceful beauty of the American West that he’d loved since he was a child.

Of course, Jim delighted not only in cruising down Baldy, but in treating his companions après-ski to a cold beer and dance (with his daughters, at least) with the band at the base of Warm Springs.

Jim’s genuine spirit, empathetic demeanor, sense of humor, dapper style, inviting smile, infectious chuckle, warm and gentle eyes, and endearing personality will remain forever with us.  He will be missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his sister Mary Ann and nephew Dr. William Sidney Renk.

He is also survived by his former spouse and mother of his children Lori Wise, his three daughters Lisa (Eric), Cheryl (Nathaniel), and Sara (Pete), and his grandchildren Mia, Zoe, Harper, and Thad.

Jim is also survived by his former spouse Alex duMauriée, his two stepdaughters J’Aime, and Devan (Eric), and grandson Xavier.

The family is grateful for the care and compassion Jim received in the last two years at Aegis Living.  It was there Jim found “young love” and happiness with Dorothy Miller.  Dorothy recalls Jim asking her daily, “What can I do for you?” to which she’d readily respond, “Always remain as sweet as you are.”

A Celebration of Life for Jim will be held in Seattle as soon as circumstances safely allow.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be greatly appreciated at the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research where we have a memorial page set up in his honor:

https://stopsarcoidosis.rallybound.org/memorials/SunnyJim?tab=MyPage