More detail on this person: James Michael
Caesar, 68, of Mill Creek, Washington passed
peacefully in his sleep on the night of February
13, 2014 while on vacation in Kauai, Hawaii. He
was born on December 11, 1945.
Jim was an extraordinary leader who touched many
lives. He dedicated his life to his family and
friends and relished every moment he spent with
them. He was an extremely active and fit man who
enjoyed marathoning, backpacking in the high
Cascades, biking, woodworking, his 1967 Austin
Healey and collecting and sampling fine wine. He
loved jazz, classical music and opera, as well as
rock and roll. Recently he had begun to study
Italian and art history.
Jim is survived by his wife and best friend
Elizabeth (Betsy), his three children and their
spouses Mona Caesar Johnson (Bryan), James
Michael Caesar, Jr. (Cheryl), and Matthew Joseph
Caesar (Zoe); and grandchildren Lauren and
Cameron Johnson, Charles and Nicholas Caesar,
and Ronan and Sophia Caesar; his parents; his
cherished aunt, Virginia Groh; and his brothers
Dan and Doug Caesar and sister Anita Kaplan.
Jim grew up in Lakewood, Washington and
graduated from Arlington High School in 1964, and
married Betsy the following year. After high
school he enlisted in the United States Army and
was recommended for Armor Officer Candidate
School shortly thereafter. He accepted a
commission with the U.S. Army in 1967 and retired
as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1989, completing nearly
24 years of honorable and exceptional service.
After retiring from the military, he worked for
the Boeing Company as a senior personnel
manager, later retiring from that position as
well.
Jim served two tours in Vietnam and was
recognized for his service with numerous
decorations including the Silver Star, the
Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal,
and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry (unit
citation). He also earned the Combat Infantryman
Badge and the Senior Army Aviator Badge.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 04/13/2025
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