Albert James “Jim” McCants

Albert James “Jim” McCants, 71, died April 25, 2011, at Fallon Medical Complex in Baker, Mont.

Jim was born Aug. 1, 1939, in Miles City, Mont., son of Benjamin and Ella Irene (Mendenhall) McCants. At age 5, Jim and younger brother Vern moved to the Ollie, Mont., area when their mother married Kenneth Rustad. There, Jim learned farming, ranching and truck driving, which became his passion most of his adult life, along with heavy equipment operating in Alaska. Jim served in Okinawa in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Jim married Virginia Hirsch and they raised two sons, Dwayne and Daryl. They lived in Miles City and Billings, Mont. As Jim drove over-the-road for Murphy, Garrett Feed, John Prince, Tom Tyler, Eckart Construction, Wickens Construction and Hauck Transport (to name a few) hauling produce, furniture, grain, bulls, gravel, oil rig equipment and hot oil. He also enjoyed singing in some of the bars and clubs.

In 1975, he went to Alaska and hauled pipe for the Alaska pipeline during its construction. He later moved his family to Alaska. He was truck foreman for Hunter Construction of Anchorage, hauled oilfield supplies from Anchorage to the North Slope for VECO then went to work on the North Slope for Arco Heavy Equipment, Nabors Drilling, Conoco and BP — among others — via contractors Peak, Cold Weather, Pengo and VECO.

In 2001, he moved back to Montana, married D’Alene (Dee Willman) Lamb and enjoyed RVing to Arizona in the winters. He never lost his love of truck driving, Alaska, flowers or gardening. Surgery in 2005 began his six-plus-year battle with colorectal cancer. He drove for a time, for Steve Nelson and Corcoran Trucking of Billings and Eckart Trucking of Miles City.

Surviving are his wife, D’Alene of Baker; son, Dwayne (Teresa) of Alaska; grandsons, Dakota, Jeremiah and James McCants of Alaska; sister, Thelma (Bill) Witt, of Billings, Mont.; brothers, Vern (Linda) McCants, of Billings, Mont.; Allen (Jan) Rustad, of Baker, Mont.; step-brother, Kenny (Sophia) Rustad, of Farmington, N.M.; mother-in-law, Monte Willman; and sister-in-law, Roberta Willman, of Plevna, Mont.; step-sons, Norman Lamb and Fred Lamb, and step-daughter, Lisa Wade, all of Casper, Wyo.; several nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins, four step-grandchildren and two step-great-granddaughters.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather; wife, Virginia; son, Daryl; and special kitty, Spunky. Per Jim’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service was May 7 at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles, Mont.