James “Jim” W. Hester Jr.
April 4, 1943 ~ March 7, 2026
With “saddened” hearts, we announce the passing of James “Jim” W. Hester Jr. on March 7, 2026 at the age of 82. Jim Hester was born April 4, 1943 in Santa Rosa to Zona Marceline (Davis) Hester and James Ward Hester Sr. He was a devoted husband and dad, a beloved “Papa” and Grandpa, and a caring brother. Jim Hester was a Santa Rosa native who loved his family and led a honorable life filled with quiet responsibility, loyalty and work ethic.
Jim Hester grew up in Santa Rosa, going to Luther Burbank Elementary, and then Santa Rosa Junior High (where he played trumpet in the band and played basketball), and then attended and graduated from Montgomery High School (where he was on the varsity tennis team). He started learning how to play tennis at a young age while watching and playing with tennis players at (the original Howarth Park tennis courts on A street) while he was still in elementary school and played recreationally until High School where he joined the Varsity tennis team. He also later played tennis at Pepperdine College. His work ethic started early, while a 6th grader at Luther Burbank Elementary, he started selling papers at a downtown corner on 4th Street, and later delivering papers on his newspaper route (via bicycle) for the Press Democrat. In August 1955 he was awarded “Carrier of the Month” by the Press Democrat and his award picture was printed in the Press Democrat. He also had a part time job in High School, working for Tuttles Pharmacy, delivering prescriptions for Tuttles on Sonoma Avenue in the white Tuttles delivery truck. After graduating High School in 1962, he moved to Los Angeles to attend Pepperdine College (at its original location in downtown Los Angeles). He joined the Tri Phi fraternity and played with the Pepperdine tennis team.
After his time in Los Angeles, he returned to Santa Rosa and began the Carpenter trade and completed the Apprentice two year program before joining the National Guard, based in Petaluma. He was sent to Ft Ord (US Army Training Center) and also to Ft Leavenworth (Kansas) for training. Following his time in the National Guard, Jim’s application, pre-training, and recommendations were successful and he was hired by PG&E. He started working originally in San Rafael, followed by Healdsburg, and then he was assigned to Santa Rosa. Jim Hester worked for PG&E for 38 years in the Electric Department as a lineman and for the last 10 years before retirement, as a troubleman (a troubleman is a highly skilled experienced journeyman lineman who serves as a first responder to electrical emergencies, such as power outages, downed wires and storm damage, and typically works alone and diagnoses, isolates and repairs faults to restore power) .
Outside of work Jim was a devoted husband and family man who also enjoyed working on outdoor projects and also made use of his carpenter skills (with helping to build his Porter Creek residence alongside with a contractor/architect and also co-built a cabin at a family property and oversaw the remodel of the Family Life Center building at the Sonoma Avenue Church of Christ). He also served as a deacon at the Sonoma Avenue Church of Christ for ten years. Jim always loved playing tennis, but he also played baseball in the local church baseball league and played 1st base and caught the winning catch in the double play that won the church league championship in 1974. Jim was a talented ping pong player who knew how to put an English spin on the ball and he also liked to play chess. Jim loved spending time at the family property at Red Mountain and being outside was a joy for him (whether it was working on projects at Red Mountain, or Porter Creek, or camping trips to Doran Beach, or to Albion, and annual trips to Yosemite). Jim was proud of his large garden at Porter Creek (where he grew tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, red onions, potatoes, corn, lettuce, strawberries & raspberries.) Jim appreciated nature’s bounty and the beauty of the outdoors.
Once Jim and Loreena moved to Petaluma in 2012, he enjoyed spending time outside in his backyard and tending his roses and his tomato plants. He also appreciated having access outside his front door to bicycle around the neighborhood and around the many paved trails in Petaluma. He bought a basketball hoop for his backyard patio area and enjoyed playing basketball and shooting hoops with his grandkids. Another great joy in Petaluma was the easy access to the local airport (whether it was by bicycle or driving), he loved to go to the Petaluma airport to watch planes land and take off and go to their frequent airport display days and community open access days. Jim also loved the beautiful short drive to the coast from Petaluma, thru Two Rock and Valley Ford, to reach Doran Beach in Bodega Bay and camping in his Southwind RV. At the coast he enjoyed making the campfires and cooking on his portable barbecue and getting the campfire “just right” for the evening smores. He also loved being at Doran Park for walking on the beach and bicycling the trail/road and flying his sport kite that did tricks and stunts, and also watching the kitesurfers on the bay side. Jim loved all things about the coast, especially clam chowder, oysters and Dungeness crab and he went scuba diving for abalone for many years.
Jim appreciated various types of music from Josh Groban to Dolly Parton to John Denver to Andrea Bocelli and the (Peruvian pan pipe players at the old Wednesday night market in Santa Rosa), as well as many classic songs from the 1950’s / 1960’s. There are numerous fun and loving memories of dancing with his sweetheart Loreena to songs and dances from American Bandstand every day at 5:00pm after school at Loreena’s house, and dancing the stroll, the twist, the calypso and the swing.
Jim is survived by his High School sweetheart and loving wife of 59 years, Loreena Hester. His next greatest love (after his wife Loreena), was his treasured family. He is survived by his three children (Rodney, Cherie and Krystle) and grandchildren in Arkansas (Shelby, Kaleb, and Jayden), and grandchildren in Petaluma (Aidan and Audrey) and his granddaughter in Santa Cruz (Vivian). He is also survived by three great grandchildren in Arkansas (Rocky, Billy, and Mikey). And he is also survived by his sister, Roberta Hester Leatherwood of Florida.
A service honoring his memory will be held on Friday March 20th, 2026 at 11am at Santa Rosa Memorial Park chapel.
His calming presence was a pillar of the foundation of our family and his legacy will be remembered by his wife, his children & his grandchildren. Jim showed his love and loyalty through his steady, faithful support of his family and also by his strong work ethic, consistently providing for and helping his family. He was a man of few words, but when he spoke, his words resonated and stayed with us. Jim loved his wife and his children deeply, quietly and unconditionally, and he loved his grandchildren immensely – they brought him joy and smiles and a sparkle to his eye. He will remain in our hearts and memories forever.
From “ Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver
I hear her voice in the mornin’ hour, she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
Drivin’ down the road, I get a feelin’
That I should’ve been home yesterday, yesterday
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
Take me home, (down) country roads
Take me home, (down) country roads
