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On May 19, 1926 the world became a better place when Scottish immigrants Alex and Annie Moulds, with 25 siblings between them, brought their one special child, James Barr Moulds, into the world. James raised humanity’s “Barr” with his light and love. He lived a full life with a wise heart and he was loved every day of it. Jim died on November 10, 2024, at the age of 98. His three daughters Cynthia, Michelle and Lisa were by his side.

Jim was raised on Monterey Street in Detroit, Michigan, in a neighborhood full of boys with whom he (“Jimmy”) played endless days of street sports - baseball, basketball, ice hockey, “with anything we could find,” until their mothers called them home for dinner. Jim said of living through the Great Depression: “We went with less, of course, but never without.”

Jim served during World War II. After the war, he attended Michigan State University with the GI Bill and delivering milk to people’s doorsteps as he worked his way through college.

After graduating from MSU, Jim worked at 3M company in Wayne, MI for over 35 years, where he said “[3M] seemed to offer a pretty good opportunity. I was right … 3M gave me the best one … I met my wife there.”

Jim and Rose Marie Muscat married in 1958. They raised their three daughters Cynthia, Michelle and Lisa, in Northville, Michigan, in a home full of music, love, compassion and respect. Jim was steadfast in providing for his family, rarely missing a day at 3M, at times driving through snowstorms and tornado warnings to get there. One wee early snowy morning, his family watched in disbelief as he shoveled himself out of the front door with a cookie sheet, slipping and sliding down Valley Road in his Blue Buick to get to work.

Jim was dedicated to Rose Marie in every way. He heroically took care of her when she was ill with cancer. After she died, he lovingly raised their three teen-aged daughters, from the ages of 12, 14 and 16, carrying on family traditions and values and offering unwavering encouragement and support throughout their lives. “We could always call him for help or advice or to share a joy or a sorrow, and we could always go home. He was our rock.”

Jim also provided care for his mother, father and other family members, for which his sister-in-law, Mary, admiringly said “Jim stands 7 feet tall.”

To honor his wife and his faith, Jim converted to Catholicism at the age of 75. He attended Our Lady of Victory Church in Northville, MI, and Sacred Heart Church in Bellingham, WA, where he especially loved listening to the 11 am choir.

While working as a 3M Human Resources Manager, Jim helped usher in Affirmative Action, something he said was “not easy.” Although he confronted prejudice and resistance, he persisted.

Jim delivered Meals on Wheels for many years, well into his 90’s, and he contributed to many charities and just causes. His daughter tells the story of patiently waiting for him as he carefully rolled up dollar bills to put in his pocket before going out for the day so he’d have something to give to people living on the streets.

He believed in women’s rights and, like Jimmy Carter, he hoped to live to see the day a fair-minded woman was elected President of the United States. He read two daily newspapers every day, and talked passionately about politics, always rooting for the underdog and disenfranchised.

Jim appreciated all of nature. He loved animals, including his childhood scotty dog, family collies and his cat Julie. Animals were drawn to his gentle, loving spirit, and you’d often see a cat or dog contently curling up on his lap. He marveled at the hummingbirds’ beauty and speed when they visited his feeders, and he enjoyed reading National Geographic and watching nature shows on tv, expressively admiring the Cheetahs. Jim especially loved being by the water – Kelleys Island, Lake Michigan, Torch Lake, the Florida Intercoastal, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, where he’d spend countless hours admiring the sea.

He loved to travel, talking of his days in Canada in his youth, enjoying family trips to Kentucky and Tennessee and taking his daughters to Toronto, California, Florida and a once-in a-lifetime trip to Scotland. He loved spending time with family, the family parties and many trips “up north” Michigan, playing games and laughing about “medicinal nuts”, tubing for his first time at 80 (for his grandson) and jet skiing at 90.

Golfing was a big part of Jim’s life. He shot four holes-in-one in his lifetime! He and his golf buddies loved following the sun to Myrtle Beach and Florida. He was an avid reader. He loved the arts, especially classical music, piano and the PBS opera. He took his daughters to art museums, plays, symphonies, musicals and concerts, including his last live concert with his daughter Cynthia to see Leonard Cohen at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.

Jim moved to Bellingham, Washington in 2014. One of the first things he did was purchase a Tollycraft cruising boat to take his family on trips to the San Juan Islands. He enjoyed his water view of the Bellingham Bay, the tides coming in and out and the Alaska Ferry’s weekly arrival. He spent many good times with his sons-in-law Ed and Kris, looking at boats and talking about sailing adventures while hanging out at the Ferry Terminal.

His grandsons brought him special joy. He proudly cheered them on during their many basketball and soccer games, musical performances, graduations and sailing send-offs. His 10-year-old grandson Dakota said: “Jaime and I were a big part of Grandpa’s life and we always cheered him up…the thing I liked most about him was his sweet and loving heart… I’m honored to say he was my grandpa.”

Jim was an enthusiastic and loyal Michigan State Spartans football fan, going to the games in his earlier years and later in life watching the games on tv with his family, singing the MSU fight song together, yelling at the tv and shouting “does anyone want to split a beer?” A highlight was Jim’s surprised delight when the Seattle MSU Spartan Alumni Quartet serenaded him on the Spartan’s boat cruise in Elliot Bay when he was 97. Go Spartans!

Jim was funny, loving, kind, smart, compassionate and insightful. He lived his life with integrity, caring about people and the state of the world. He saw the beauty in life. We hope with all our hearts he is still surrounded by beauty and love.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Alex Moulds and Annie Barr Moulds, beloved wife Rose Marie, dear mother-in-law Helen Muscat, son in-law Kris Cassingham, and many other relatives and friends, including most recently his good friend “Big Ed.” He is survived by his daughters, Cynthia Moulds, Michelle Moulds and Lisa Moulds, son-in-law Ed Rowe, grandsons James (Jaime) Elwin Joy Rowe-Moulds and Dakota James Rosario Moulds, and relatives in Washington State, Michigan, Chicago and North Carolina.

In the words of Scottish Poet, Robert (Rabbie) Burns (My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose) “…fare thee weel…” to our dear auld Dad. You will be forever missed.

Thank you to all the people who showed kindness, love and care for Jim through the years, especially in his last years, with special thanks and gratitude to Mary Louise and Pat Muscat, Jupiter, John from Sacred Heart, Candace, Norm at McKenzie Apts., Clare Jones, Gilda, Catherine and all the staff at the Center for Senior Health, and to Jim’s kind and compassionate family doctor, Dr. Serge Lindner.

We'd be grateful for any thoughts, stories or photos you might like to share on this webpage to carry on memories of Jim. You can do this in the Condolences tab above.

And finally, a special heartfelt thank you to Jeannimarie Anderson, Jim’s dedicated caregiver, who shared many days and adventures with Jim, and for whom we will be forever and deeply grateful.

We thank the Sacred Heart Church in Bellingham, WA for dedicating a Catholic mass on behalf of Jim at 11am on February 23, 2025. All are welcome to attend.

If you’d like details about Jim’s celebration of life in Bellingham, WA on May 18, 2025, or Jim’s funeral Mass at Our Lady of Victory and a Celebration of Life in Michigan on June 20, 2025, please email lisamoulds@hotmail.com.

If you’d like to make a donation in Jim’s honor, please consider contributing to:

Meals on Wheels https://whatcomcoa.org/meals-on-wheels-and-more/

Northville Parks and Recreation https://www.northvilleparksandrec.org/senior-services/community-services

American Red Cross https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/

The Maryknoll Sisters https://www.maryknollsisters.org/

World Wildlife Fund https://www.worldwildlife.org/

Michigan State University https://givingto.msu.edu/