James "Jim" Lee Wells

Jim Wells, 74, Bismarck, ND passed away on Thursday, April 17, 2025, with his family by his side, in Sanford Hospital receiving 27 days of exceptional care by the Providers, RN’s, Nursing Assistants and Service staff.

We will celebrate Jim’s life on May 2, 2025, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck.

Visitation will be held from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Memorial service will begin at 9:30 a.m. After the service Jim will receive Military Honors at the ND State Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, ND.

Please return to Parkway Funeral Service for lunch and socialization.

Hayden and Clara Wells gave birth to their youngest son, James, on August 15, 1950, in Seminole, OK. A few years later the family relocated to Coffeyville, KS. Jim enjoyed helping his mom with hobbies, working on cars with his dad, discovering his taste for BBQ, played high school football and got his private pilot’s license prior to his 1968 high school graduation and traveled to CA to visit his brother’s family.

After high school Jim joined the Naval Reserve out of Bainbridge, MD he enlisted in the navy and was deployed to Vietnam on February 6, 1971, he was a Navigator, he was a E6 Quartermaster the highest-ranking for his combat tour of duty on the USS Eversole DD789 a Destroyer stationed from the Long Beach Naval Station of CA.

Jim’s duty station was on the ship’s bridge with the captain and navigated ship in combat to ensure all fire missions were as accurate as possible and ship maneuvers to prevent cannons from damaging the Destroyer as well, through two severe hurricanes. Jim had a US Defense security clearance, his duties included reporting to the captain, the ships logs, chronometer, and he turned 21 in Vietnam. Jim was released from active duty in December 1972 due to a reduction in authorized strength and learned the Eversole DD789 was also decommissioned. Jim was Honorably Discharged from the US Navy on February 6, 1976. Jim received the National Defense Service Metal, Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Service Ribbon with a Bronze Star for Meritorious Service in Combat, and Vietnam Campaign Metal.

After returning from Vietnam, he attended San Jose State, CA and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Jim and Elaine Piini were married on April 21, 1979, and lived in San Jose, CA until they divorced. Jim was first employed at Paul Revere Insurance Company and then joined as partner in an Estate Planning Company in 1984. As Certified Financial Planners (CFP) in a business partnership, Jim highly valued Renato, Lynn, Lisa and Celeste as special friends. Jim became a Managing Partner of Cybersites an IT online search engine company. In 2000, Cybersites received an ND State contract, Jim became Project Manager and temporarily relocated to Bismarck. Roxanne Bossert was assigned as the ND Project Manager. Their friendship grew, and on August 21, 2002, Jim and Roxanne were married in Las Vegas. He arranged for Trent and Evan to ride 180-mph around the Las Vegas speedway prior to returning to Bismarck. Roxanne received a job offer and they moved to AZ. Jim worked for Western AZ Council of Governments helping clients with financial planning preventing many home foreclosures. Later we moved to California and Chemehuevi Indian Tribe hired Jim to assess and revise land contracts for waterfront property lease agreements. Jim retired and Roxanne had accepted a job in Los Angeles. They lived 1 mile from Disneyland in Anaheim, CA walking the Disneyland parks, jumped on rides, stopped to eat. Jim loved watching children bounce with excitement and he would smile as exhausted dads would pass. Jim enjoyed daily phone calls with Hayden, until his father passed. Trent, Evan and Lindsay joined us for a trip to Disneyland on New Years Eve and traveled to Las Vegas. We visited Hoover and Parker Dams, AZ, Lindsay an engineer, enjoyed the bridge tours.

In 2016 Jim and Roxanne returned to Devils Lake, ND to care for Roxanne’s parents, who later moved to Bismarck. In 2020, Jim and Roxanne moved home to Bismarck. Enjoying spending family time with Trent, Evan, Lindsay, Aubrey and Dylan who shared so many hugs, high fives, conversations, played table games, watched cartoons, attended dance recitals, basketball games, swimming lessons, soccer games, gymnastics, concerts and educational internet searches.

We appreciate spending holidays with Lindsay’s family and the boy’s friends. We would like to thank Brenda, Todd and Robin for helping with our parents, especially this year through Jim’s cancer journey.

Jim is survived by his wife of 23 years, Roxanne Wells; stepsons, Trent Bossert and Evan (Lindsey) Bossert; granddaughter, Aubrey Bossert; grandson, Dylan Bossert; brother, Hayden Wells; sister, Sondra Luker; sisters-in-law, Judy Wells, Kay Junta, Brenda (Kevin) Regan, and Robin (Brad) Taylor; brothers-in-law, Chris Varsoke and Todd (Julie) Schwab; nieces, Sandy (Frank) Billecci and Melissa (Clayton) Hibbard; nephew, Cris Wells; and many other nieces and nephews and their children; parents-in-law, Gerald Schwab and Ann Schwab; and special friends, Randy Schwab, Rodney Mattern, Maddi Harris, Anthony Regan, and Renato Tuazon.

He was preceded in death by his father, Hayden Lockey Wells; mother, Clara Leota Wells-Richardson; nephew, Doug Luker; sister-in-law, Jacqueline Schwab-Varsoke; uncles; aunts; and grandparents.

Memorials may be made out to the Wounded Warrior Project.