James Ellis McShan was born July 4, 1944 in San Francisco. Jim was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force serving in California, Washington State and Cortina, Italy. Jim was married to Nonnie Wihler McShan for 20 years and they had two children Jenny and Morgan. Jim retired after 37 years as a member of Carpenters Union Local 405 in San Jose.

Jim had a lifelong love of the ocean. He was a Sea Scout and his grandfather John Cattich took him on out on regular fishing trips on the San Francisco Bay. Jim’s great love of the outdoors included sea kayaking, hiking, fishing, swimming biking and golf.

Jim met Sandy Keeley while sea kayaking at Elkhorn Slough near Monterey and they married in 1995. They lived in Mill Valley and then Del Webb Sun City, Lincoln, CA, where Jim continued as a volunteer to repair hiking trails on Mt. Tamalpias and to organize local hiking groups. After ten happy years of traveling with Sandy to hike and kayak throughout the Western States, Jim had a heart attack on January 14, 2004 while pursuing his new love of cycling. He had just completed a 30-mile ride with friends.

With thanks to Sandy McShan, Joyce Cattich and Dick Cattich.
The photos of Jim and Sandy below were taken in Tiburon, Utah and Alaska.