James Norman Hastings was born October 29, 1948 in Arlington, CA. Not long after, he was welcomed into the loving family of Wallace and Cleo Hastings. Wallace Hastings was a minister with the First Christian Church and, as a result, the family moved often during Jims childhood. The family lived in Oregon at the time of Jims adoption before moving to Sheridan, Indiana and then LaGrande, Oregon. They moved to Tulare when Jim was a teenager and he graduated from Tulare Union High School in 1966. He then joined the Navy and served on the U.S.S. Blue, stationed mostly in Vietnam, but also traveled up to Korea when the U.S.S. Pueblo was captured. James was proud of his service, especially of his Top Secret Clearance that was granted through the process of intelligence gathering. Upon his return, he married Marsha Marty (Coleman) Hastings in Tulare, CA in December of 1973. Jim and Marty were blessed with a daughter, Tracy, and the family settled in Wasco, CA. He worked for 30 years as the Transportation Manager for Community Support Options, formerly known as the Wasco Association for the Developmentally Disabled. In his free time Jim enjoyed reading and playing golf on his Xbox. He was a big fan of Marvel Comics, but he also made time for his favorite show, Jeopardy; Jim and Tracy would watch it together every day. He enjoyed attending Choctaw and inter-tribal Pow Wows, whether near or far. Jim was also often confused for Santa Claus, but it was a mistake that he did not mind. In fact he took advantage of his appearance while donating his time as a bell-ringer for the Salvation Army around the holidays. Jim was a long time member of the First United Methodist Church in Wasco. During the past few years since Marty passed, James spent most of his time with his daughter. The two were able to travel together and they just enjoyed each others time. He will be greatly missed. Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Marty Hastings; his father, Wallace Hastings and a brother, Rik Hastings. He is survived by his mother, Cleo Hastings; his beloved daughter, Tracy Hastings; two siblings, Roy Hastings and Kathleen Bennett; nephews, Justin and Nathan; nieces, Katia and Brienna; great nieces, Taylor and Amanda; one uncle, Gary Bevington and wife Judy; and of course his cat, Fingal. James Norman Hastings passed away December 9, 2015 in Bakersfield, CA. His memorial service will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Wasco, on December 21, 2015, beginning at 11:00am; Pastor Martha Milk will officiate.