James William Troger's Obituary
James William Troger
July 15, 1923 - December 23, 2019
Union City, California
Jim passed away December 23, 2019 following a brief illness.
He was born James Wellman Balkcom on July 15, 1923 in Providence, Rhode Island, to George Wellman Balkcom and Agnes Campbell Balkcom. Jim was only one year younger than his brother, George, almost to the day.
When Jim was 5 or 6, his parents separated. He and brother George were taken to live with their mother and stepfather, Charles Troeger. He recalled living in a large home in Royal Oak, MI, until the depression hit and he said they “walked away” from Michigan and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in California. There, Agnes and Charlie worked a variety of jobs to stay afloat, renting out rooms in their home and once selling sandwiches on the street. In better times, they raised palomino horses that they rode in local parades as a family.
Older brother George joined the Navy during WWII and Jim soon followed, quitting school and enlisting in 1940 at age 17. He served aboard the USS Wright, the USS New Orleans heavy cruiser, and the Kadashan Bay aircraft carrier. He saw much action in the South Pacific, including Pearl Harbor, where his ship was just entering the harbor when the attack began, and Tassafaronga where the bow of his ship was blown off by a
torpedo. The ship was run aground and the crew made a temporary bow of palm trees that kept the ship afloat while they sailed backwards to Australia for repairs. Aboard the Kadashan Bay, he was part of a task force to retake the Palau, where his ship led an unsupported attack against the lead ship of the Japanese fleet, beginning the famous
battle of Samar. The Kadashan Bay was struck by a kamikaze pilot during the battle for Luzon in the Philippines. Jim kept a piece of metal from the plane as a reminder. He said that he never expected to survive the war and every day after has been a gift. Following the war, Jim returned to California and married Audrey Luedtke in May 1946 on her family’s resort in Minocqua, WI. They had two daughters, Jennifer and Mary Jill,
and eventually settled in Castro Valley, CA. Jim started out as a draftsman at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, eventually working his way up to Mechanical Engineer. He enjoyed his work overseeing projects and traveling to the Nevada Test Site. In the 1960s, Jim transferred to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in Palo Alto.
He and Audrey divorced in 1970. In 1974 Jim met Cathy Evans at a square dance and said it was love at first sight. They were married December 14, 1974 and spent 41 happy years together before her death in 2016. During their marriage, they visited every state in the US and traveled extensively in Europe. Jim’s favorite spot in Europe was
Vienna, Austria. After their mother’s death in 1964, Jim and George reconnected with their father in Rhode Island, who had remarried, and discovered they now had 7 new half brothers and sisters greatly expanding their small family. Jim and Cathy moved to Acacia Creek Retirement Community in Union City, CA in 2012. There he enjoyed playing Bridge and Poker with the other residents. He took iPad
classes, played online cards with people all over the world, and participated in community activities such as Walk for Health. As a member of the 90s Society at Acacia Creek, he organized a fundraising event every year to make a donation for the Shriners Hospitals for Children. He was an active member of the Freemasons, the Scottish Rite
and Asiya Shriners, embracing their belief in charity. His friends say they remember his independence, humor, kindness, and generosity.
Jim is survived by his daughters, Jennifer Troger and Mary Jill Peace, grandchildren Don Cuddihy (Kathy), Ken Cuddihy (April), Shannon Cuddihy, Jessica Freitas, 6 great-grandchildren, Jax, Jeremiah, Shanelle, Izaiah, Isaac Cuddihy, and Josh Tennyson. He is also survived by his Rhode Island siblings Ronald (Dottie), Richard (Judy), Bill, Joe Balkcom, and Judy Beatrice. He will be interred in the Evans family plot in Glasgow, Kentucky next to his beloved wife, Catherine. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
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