Hamilton Lion James ‘Jim’ Whitlock honored

by John Dowd, Editor

On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Hamilton Lions Club met in front of Hamilton City Hall to commemorate a community bench in honor of long-time Lions Club member, the late James “Jim” Whitlock. In attendance were Whitlock’s son Randy Whitlock, who drove out from Whitefish, and daughter Trudy Dickerson, who came from Deer Lodge.

To speak on behalf of the Hamilton Lions Club, and to give an address remembering Whitlock was Lions Club member Dan Rothlisberger. According to him, this bench has been over a year and a half in the making, and it is more than a commemoration of a man. It is a “monument to Lionism,” said Rothlisberger.

Beginning the dedication, Rothlisberger also mentioned Jim’s wife, Jo Ann Whitlock, who was extremely supportive of everything Jim did. “He couldn’t do it without her support.” They were married for 67 years and both supported the community in various ways, as well as each other. 

It was fitting that the bench was placed in front of Hamilton City Hall because Jim was also Hamilton mayor for 10 years. The current Hamilton mayor, Dominic Farrenkopf, submitted a letter to be read at the dedication. In it, Farrenkopf stated, 

“We are here today to honor the life of James ‘Jim’ Whitlock and his contributions to the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Lions Club, and Lost Trail Ski Patrol. Serving as Mayor from 1982 to 1992, Jim Whitlock oversaw the purchase and remodel of the Hamilton City Hall at 223 South 2nd Street. He oversaw the relocation of the Police Department, City Court, and City Administration offices from what is now the historic Fire Hall to the current City Hall location. Mayor Whitlock also facilitated the completion of the Community Room that continues to serve as City Council Chambers and a gathering place for public and private events. Service to the City of Hamilton also included terms on the Hamilton Police Commission, Study Commission, and Zoning Board. We are proud to display this bench as a lasting reminder of Jim Whitlock and his contributions to the City of Hamilton and Hamilton Lions Club.” 

Jim was a member of the Hamilton Lions Club for 53 years, serving in a variety of positions from Lion Tamer to club President. He was supportive of every community improvement project brought forth. He was also a “Legacy Member,” because he was sponsored by an original charter member of the Hamilton Lions Club. The Lions have been in the valley for over 95 years and Jim was one of the last to be directly connected to those who started it in 1930. 

Randy noted that Jim was a copious blood donor, saying, “I don’t know how many gallons of blood” his father donated. Whitlock was also a member of Lost Trail Ski Patrol for over 50 years, and was involved with skiing across the state. According to Trudy, who mentioned how in the early days of the Job Corps, even though the kids there were a little shunned as was the program, her father used to always have some of the youth over for dinner with the family.

According to Randy, looking back at their life with their father, he said “It was just part of your life, but going back over it, you’re like, holy cow.” He said they were part of so much, and their father did so much for everyone. Trudy said, “It was just what we did when we grew up,” speaking of how involved her father was in Ski Patrol and statewide skiing. They were able to ski in just about every ski resort in the state, many of which are no longer around, and they spent countless hours at the Lost Trail ski area.

“It’s hard to imagine how he came up with so many hours to put into the community,” said Rothlisberger. “Not that many people have been that engaged for that long,” and Jim “set the bar pretty high.” Rothlisberger noted that the slogan of the Lions is “We serve,” and said that Jim “was the personification of that.”

Rothlisberger finished the dedication by saying that he hopes Jim inspires people today with his selfless service, and that the Hamilton Lions Club is “proud to be the organization that sponsors this bench.”