James Michael DeVilbiss passed away at Trinity Medical Center on Friday, March 13.

He leaves behind his wife, Linda DeVilbiss; his parents, Tom and Jann DeVilbiss of Westhope; stepdaughters, Trish Lioi of Minot and Tina Smalley of Rainbow, AL; two step-grandchildren; and two step-great-grandchildren. Also, his sister, Ms. Cherie Goodwin, of Portland, Oregon, two nieces, and a nephew. And a special shout-out to James Orr, his brother from another mother here in North Dakota.

Jim was born on August 29, 1967, at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and lived a full, mobile life. He entered grade school in Boulder, CO, attended middle school in Medford, OR, and graduated from high school in Yelm, WA. After graduation, he moved to West Germany for a five-year stay during which he worked both within the American Forces support services and in the German economy. He returned to the States in 1990 and, after a brief stay in Texas, moved to North Dakota for the first time, where he lived in Medina for several months. As a young man, he continued in food service/logistics in the Pacific NW and later in the Monterey Bay area of CA, where he met his wife.

He was married in 1995 and returned to college at Monterey Peninsula College, earning an Associate's degree in 2003. He moved to North Dakota to continue his education at Minot State University, where he graduated with teaching credentials and a double major in history and mathematics. He accepted the position of high school math teacher at Westhope High School in 2007 and finally settled down. He remained in Westhope since then.

The family will host a celebration of life at 1:30 pm on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the Westhope Senior Citizens Center. All are invited to join them.