I am sad to learn that our classmate, Fred James, passed away January 15, 2026 in Bellingham, Washington. 
Many of you may remember Fred..he was known for his singing (bass) in Troubadours, Senior Boys Ensemble and Opera Group.. And did he love opera!!  
We were Facebook friends for many years. He helped talk Steve Osmond into coming to our 40th reunion and we semi-organized a singing reunion in Opera Group's classroom.. such fun!!

I had dinner with Fred and his wife Leza on a visit to the Seattle area about 8-9 years ago.. such memories of our NT musicals..He will be missed.. 

with love,

Sue Giallombardo Walker  NT 1963 website admin   suewalker4@yahoo.com

Here is a tribute to Fred from one of his close friends, Ken Schoolland: 

My very best friend over the past 50 years, Frederick James, passed away in Bellingham, Washington January 15. We met when I was passing through Hawaii and made my first encounter with libertarians. Fred was larger than life and enjoyed it to the fullest. He adored all members of his broad family, especially his children, writing in detail about them in two autobiographies under the pseudonym Ben Archer: From Here to Puberty and This Nearly Was Mine. (Available on Amazon.) Fred was born in Chicago, served with the U.S. Army, and for years hosted radio and television talk shows while living in Hawaii, Virginia, Alaska, and Washington State. I was fortunate to have been invited to join him on the air on many occasions. With his deep, resonant voice he took to the airwaves as a person of profound moral and individualist character who could find fun and laughs in everything under the sun. Retiring to Washington state, Fred continued as a libertarian activist, airplane and gun enthusiast, a lover of opera and nature, and a vigorous reader who relished debate in all manner of intellectual and philosophical ideas. Last summer we journeyed together with his son JD to England and France, particularly to see the D-Day memorial at Normandy on June 6 and the John Harrison marine chronometer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich that won the King's prize for making possible accurate longitude calculation for mariners. Fred is survived by many, particularly his magnificent wife, Leza Madsen,  his four children Maia James Tidwell, Kristina Brinton-Andersson, Andrew Brinton, J.D. Jason Collins; grandchildren (alphabetically) Asher, Edison, Emilia, Kalea, Luna, Lyra, Max, River, Ryder, Wyatt; brothers David William James, Louie Aubere James, Jewel D. James, Charlotte Streit; nephew Lobo Tiggre, David William James III, Lucia Marshall, José James; great grandchildren Ford JD, Henley, and Wayne. I will sorely miss his brilliant and funny weekly communications.