James A. Benedict, 62, of Troy

James A. Benedict, 62, of Troy died after a struggle with cancer on May 23, 2013, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Jim was born on Dec. 7, 1950, in Syracuse, N.Y. His parents were Anna and stepfather Ralph Benedict.

Just out of high school, Jim joined the U.S. Navy. He served on the aircraft carrier Ticonderoga and one of the memorable events of his Navy career was the retrieval of the Apollo 17 command module in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 19, 1972.

Jim is survived by his close friends, Peggy Miller of Frederick, Md., Paul and Carol Parsons of Troy, Glen and Terry Herman of Troy, Randy and Judy Kelsey of Troy, Bernie Janoski of Couer d’Alene, Idaho, Chris and Jackie Reichert of Troy, and his god-children Todd Herman and Kathy (Williams) Lennon.

Jim was preceded in death by his stepfather Ralph, his stepsister June and his mother Anna.

The funeral service will be at 11a.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Troy Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 725 U.S. Highway 2 in Troy.  

Father Bob Lilly of Heron, will officiate. Honorary pallbearers will be Paul Parsons, Bernie Janoski, Glen Herman, Randy Kelsey, Todd Herman, Floyd Bain and Chris Reichert.  

The Troy Volunteer Fire Department will have an honorary bell ringing at the service. Funeral services will be provided by the Schnackenberg and Nelson Funeral Home. After the service, there will be a reception at the Troy Senior Citizens Center, East 3rd Street in Troy.

It is suggested that memorial donations in honor of Jim Benedict may be sent to the Kootenai Valley Partners Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 19, Libby, Mont., 59923, Troy Volunteer Ambulance Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 641, Troy, Mont., 59935, Wings P.O. Box 7852, Kalispell, Mont., 59903 or Troy Food Pantry, P.O. Box 945, Troy, Mont., 59935.