Norval James Bratcher 1960 - 2024

Norval James “Jim” Bratcher passed away August 26, 2024, while on a fishing trip at Lake Simtustus near Warm Springs, Oregon. He was doing what he loved – spending time with life-long friends, camping, and enjoying the scenic quiet areas of remote Oregon. His humor, humility, sense of duty, and desire to be helpful to his community and nation made Jim a truly wonderful and caring person.

A memorial service to celebrate his life is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, September 21, at Church on the Hill, 700 W. Hill Rd., McMinnville, Oregon.

Born July 14, 1960, in Pendleton, Oregon, to Sandra Syphers (nee Sundean) and Elman Bratcher, Jim (or Norv, as he was known to close friends and family), moved to the Newberg area in childhood and graduated in 1979 from Newberg High School.

After high school, he attended Chemeketa Community College, where he earned an associate degree in mechanical engineering, and ultimately met his future wife, Victoria Lynn Bratcher. They were married on July 9, 1983, in McMinnville.

Jim and Vicki had two sons, Nathan and Chris. They settled in Amity, where Jim studied to become a Respiratory Therapist, joining McMinnville Community Hospital’s team (later Willamette Valley Medical Center) in 1991. He would work there until his passing, earning an Employee of the Year award in 1994, and other significant accolades along the way. His passion for helping people began early in his life – he was a volunteer firefighter and EMT for both Amity Fire District from 1983 to 1995, and then McMinnville Fire Department from 1995 to 2008, when he retired.

During the same time, Jim joined the United States Coast Guard Reserve and served for 22 years, until his retirement in 2008. He received a special commendation for lifesaving efforts he performed when a fisherman collapsed during a heart attack on a dock, while he was on duty at USCG Station Yaquina Bay. He went on to active duty in the events immediately following the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, conducting harbor and river patrols throughout Oregon and Washington. He was again called up in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina.

In his “off” time, he dedicated 27 years, the last ten of which as the Regional Director for Oregon to the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets, a national youth development organization affiliated with the U.S. Navy that promoted leadership and development of 13 to 18-year-olds interested in military service, patriotism, and core values.

He loved exploring all corners of Oregon in search of rocks and gemstones, an avid “rock-hound,” as well as a member of the McMinnville Amateur Radio Club. His accomplishments are too numerous to list, and it goes without saying that Jim touched the lives of so many people in and around Yamhill County.

He was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather – preceded in death by his youngest son, Christopher Kyle Bratcher (2009), and survived by his loving wife, Vicki; son and daughter-in-law, Nathan and Karen Bratcher; grandchildren, Damien, Juliette, Nicholas, and Emily; stepfather, Stanley Syphers; brother and sister-in-law, Jason and Beth Syphers; and sisters, Laurel Langford and Vicki Thornburg.