James Wayne Dillingham

James “Spud” Dillingham was born in Boise, ID on May 30th 1951 and passed peacefully on November 13, 2023, after being diagnosed with brain cancer. He moved to Portland Oregon when he was 14 years old, and he graduated from David Douglas High School in 1969. Spud made a name for himself in Salem Oregon’s restaurant and bar industry, where he worked as a Sales Representative for Lon Thomas Distributing and Columbia Distributing for more than 40 years.

He is survived by: Daughter Lindsey Maassel (Nick, and grandsons, Rowan and Luca), son Brad Dillingham (Sophia), siblings John Dillingham (Carol), Carroll Unruh (Debbie), Dave Dillingham (Kathy), Peggy Newton (Vern), Janet Macdonald (Jon), and Linda Greenough (Steve). His grandsons and all of his nieces and nephews adored him and cherished his charismatic character.

Spud will be forever in our hearts and truly missed. He loved to fish and hunt, but most importantly he loved his friends and family. We will all miss hearing from him, “Hey Bub” or “What’s happening?” and listening to his stories about his day and genuinely caring about yours.

In place of flowers, donations in Spud's memory can be made to Queen of Peace church in Salem, or your choice of charity that supports research in brain cancer. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.