James 'Jim' William Steven, 81

James "Jim" William Steven, 81, of Coram passed away peacefully on Sept. 5, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his family.

Jim was born on May 20, 1945, in Illinois. He proudly served his country in the United States Navy before building a long career as a mason and contractor.

A skilled craftsman, Jim left his mark throughout the area, including masonry work in Glacier National Park. His work lives on, most notably at Lake McDonald Lodge, the Triple Arches along Going-to-the-Sun Road, and Alberta Visitor’s Center in West Glacier. Building and fixing things wasn’t simply his occupation—it was part of who he was. He remained active and continued taking on projects well into his later years.

Jim also loved hunting and fishing and especially enjoyed his excursions to Tiber Reservoir.

Jim was the family’s “MacGyver.” If something was broken, he could usually find a way to make it work again—and quite often, his solution involved adding a switch or two. He was resourceful, inventive, and rarely met a mechanical problem he couldn’t find his own way around.

Jim is survived by his longtime companion, Barbara Lietz; his son, James Michael Steven and wife Shanna Steven; his daughters, Jennifer Steven, Alexandra Avila and husband Cesar Avila, and Misty Taylor and husband Mike Taylor; and his grandchildren, Natasha, Jordan, Nichole, and Harper.

Jim leaves behind more than the things he built. His ingenuity will continue to be remembered in family stories, and the unmistakably “Jim” way he found of making things work will be missed by those who knew and loved him.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at 1 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the Steven Estate in Coram.