James Reginald Stark

a husband, father and Navy veteran from Poulsbo, Wash., died April 20, 2016. He was 74.Jim was born July 20, 1941 in Tulsa, Okla., to Ernst and Clara Stark. He graduated from Ferguson (Ferguson, Mo.) High School in 1959 and received a degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1963. He and his twin brother, Tom, graduated from the U.S. Navy's Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., on Nov. 22, 1963, the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. He spent the next 21 years in the Navy as a member of the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps, 12 of those with the Construction Force (Construction Battalion, AKA Seabees).On Dec. 1, 1963 he married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Chamberlain, in Ferguson, Mo. They had three children: Peter, born in 1965 in Casper, Wyo.; Steven, born in 1969 in Port Hueneme, Calif.; and Michael, born in 1971 in Fort Belvoir, Va.In 1964, Jim and Barb were stationed in Midwest, Wyo. where he was the Assistant Officer in Charge of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3. In 1966, Jim, Barb and Pete moved to the Philippines, where Jim was the Assistant Resident Officer in Charge of Construction at Clark Air Base.The next stop was with the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion at Port Hueneme, the West Coast homeport of the Seabees. From there (from 1968-1970), he deployed to Vietnam as Alpha Company Commander, and then to Okinawa as Battalion Operations Officer, then to Guam as detachment Officer in Charge.He then received orders to report to Washington, D.C., where he was Officer in Charge at the State Department's Naval Support Unit (1970-1973). Jim, Barb, Pete, Steve and Mike then moved to Monterey, Calif., where Jim attended the Naval Postgraduate School (1973-1975), earning a Master's Degree in Management. Jim also spent a yearlong deployment in Diego Garcia (1975-1976), an atoll in the Indian Ocean, as the Resident Officer in Charge of Construction at the Naval Communication Station.The Stark family moved to Poulsbo, Wash., in 1976 where Jim was Project Management Officer at TRIDENT, and was part of the team that built Naval Submarine Base Bangor. In 1979 came orders for Jim to become the Public Works Officer for Naval Air Station Bermuda. In 1982, he returned to Port Hueneme as the Commanding Officer in Charge of the Naval Construction Training Center. He retired as a Commander from the U.S. Navy in July 1984.The family moved to Poulsbo, Wash., that summer. Jim spent several years running his own business and then attended the University of Washington to become a certified teacher. From 1990 to 2005, Jim taught math and Diversified Occupations at North Kitsap High School. He and Barb (also a long-time teacher) both retired in 2005.Jim believed deeply in public service. He was a member of the Poulsbo Lions Club, first joining in 1985 and twice serving as its president. He also helped found the Leo Club at North Kitsap High School to get young people involved in community service projects. He loved the sense of purpose and camaraderie of the Lions Club, especially its dedication to projects that helped people and bettered the community. Jim was also a regular volunteer and board member at North Kitsap Fishline, always looking forward to days spent working with his crew preparing food deliveries for those in need. He also volunteered to serve members of the military and their families as part of the USO (United Service Organizations), was on the local board for Habitat for Humanity, and was a charter member and elder of Central Kitsap Presbyterian Church.Jim was a world traveler (setting foot on all seven continents) who collected lifelong friends at every stop, whether it was in the Navy, at school, Central Kitsap Presbyterian Church or in volunteer service. He loved to rib friends relentlessly but never turned down a chance to help when needed. His life was defined by his love of family and friends, his Christian faith, patriotism and pride of country, the honor of serving others, a fierce sense of humor, a curiosity about the world (though he'd laugh about how long it took him to get through any book) and a simple appreciation for ending the day with a beer or glass of Scotch surrounded by those he loved. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara, as well as sons Peter, Steven, Michael; brother Thomas, sister Marye Anne Read; mother-in-law Marjorie Chamberlain; grandchildren Ethan, Natalie, Henry, Bridget and Isaac; daughters-in-law Kris Stark and Karen Mockler; sister-in-law Beverly Stark; brother-in-law Emerson Read; and nephews Jeff Stark, Bill Read, Jim Read.Jim liked to say, "Leave a place better than you found it." He certainly did that while he was here and is already dearly missed. Friends and family are invited to his memorial service on Saturday April 30th at 3 o'clock at Central Kitsap Presbyterian Church on Nels Nelson Road in Silverdale. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to North Kitsap Fishline, the Poulsbo Lions Club or Central Kitsap Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund. Arrangement entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home. Please sign the online guest book for the family.