William James Cadman

William James Cadman was born on August 10, 1930, in Hammond, Indiana, to William Edward Albert Cadman and Dorothy Loraine Green Cadman. Bill spent his youth in this area. He earned his student pilot’s license in 1946, attended NW Military Academy in Lake Geneva, WI, in 1947, and graduated from Hammond High School in 1949. Bill proudly served his country as a US Marine from 1951 to 1954, spending two years of that time in Korea. From 1952 to 1955 he was married to Shirley Cunningham.
Bill worked in construction to put himself through college and received his BA in Urban Land Economics from UCLA in 1958. After graduation he worked on large engineering projects for multi-national construction firms including Bechtel’s Mammoth Pool hydro-electric project on the San Joaquin River in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He kept in close contact with his son, John, from a marriage to Sheila Garrett 1959 to 1962. He was cost engineer for Parson’s in 1967 at their sulfur recovery unit in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Bill married LoEtta Fredinburg in Santa Monica, California, on August 22, 1964 after receiving a dispensation from the Pope. Living in Southern California, Bill built their personal residence in Topanga, and started his own residential construction company as a General Contractor.
In 1975 the Cadmans purchased the White Pelican Inn at Point Comfort in Rocky Point, a resort area of Klamath Falls, Oregon. After extensive restoration and research the Inn was opened to the public and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This research became the basis for a History of Rocky Point Oregon that was compiled and published by the Cadmans in 2002. During his 34 years in Rocky Point, Bill was active in the Cascade Social Club. As Board Member and resident he volunteered many hours toward the development and operation of the Harriman Fire Department. When the resort business diminished, Bill spent the next 11 years as an employee of the Klamath County Parks Department and retired in 2001. Upon sale of Point Comfort in 1987, Bill constructed a beautiful Redwood home on the shores of Pelican Bay which served as the Cadman’s residence until May 2009. Bill & LoEtta moved to Countryside Village in Grants Pass, Oregon, where they lived for 8 years.
Bill received his first Power Wheelchair through the VA in 2010. This became his vehicle to explore and talk with people and visit the Rogue River and parks and other areas filled with nature and wildlife. He attended monthly Veteran’s meetings. One of his most memorable experiences had to be the 2019 tour of Washington D.C. under the auspices of “Honor Flights of Oregon.” He was presented with a U.S. flag which had flown over the capitol and told that his name was written in the Congressional Record of the 116th House of Representatives. Hobbies included photography, videography, creating movies, researching the expeditions of John C. Fremont, and traveling. His most treasured activities were river rafting and snowmobiling on Pelican Butte, which he referred to as his mountain. Seeking more of this active and self-directed existence was found by purchasing a private home where he lived with LoEtta until his passing on September 10, 2020 in Providence Medford Medical Center.
Bill is predeceased by his parents. Survivors include his loving wife LoEtta of 56 years; devoted son John Cadman and grandsons Nathan Keoni (Sarah), Kawika Daniel, Kainalu James, and Maika’I Andrew all of Maui, Hawaii; brother Bob (Liz) Cadman of CA; sister Beverly (Gary) Burke of Mill Valley, CA; nieces and nephews and their families.
Rosary will begin at 10:15 AM at St. Anne Catholic Church in Grants Pass on Saturday, September 19, 2020, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM. Instead of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity. Internment will take place at the Auburn Cemetery in Auburn, California at some future date.