JAMES R. HASTINGS
James R. Hastings, 79, passed away Wednesday, June 1, 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was born March 12, 1937, in Washington Indiana, to the late John S. and Esther (Smiley) Hastings. Jim earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. He then served as a helicopter pilot for the U.S. army before getting his law degree at the University of Wyoming. During his 37-year legal career, he worked for the Office of the Attorney General in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville, Florida, and New York, New York, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Jim first came to Manitoulin Island with his family in 1951. The Hastings purchased a cottage on Lake Kagawong in 1955, where Jim spent more than 60 summers. In recent years, he and his wife Mary have been active members of Manitoulin Amateur Radio Club and Friends of Misery Bay. His hobbies included skiing, photography, geology, canoeing, and scuba diving. He also volunteered as a radio operator for the American Red Cross, assisting in disaster relief operations including the Pentagon response on 9/11. Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Claire (Korte) Hastings. He is survived by his brother Bill (Jean) Hastings and his niece Nicole Hastings, both of Merriam, Kansas. Memorial contributions may be made to Manitoulin Amateur Radio Club.
